The Tricks of Destiny
by Sandylee007
Summary: SEQUEL TO ‘THE GAMES OF FATE’ Konoha has been lulled into peace and quiet, until shadows of past reappear. What happens to Naruto and Sasuke’s family when danger lurks from several places at one go? YAOI NaruSasu MPREG
1. Where Dark Clouds Appear

A/N: Heh, long time no see, ne? MAN, I've missed 'TGOF' – I'm so happy to get down to this! (grins, and rubs hands together)

I got this idea in a shower. Yeah, you read correctly. 'Almost got a gallon of shampoo into my eyes because I was in such a rush to get down to writing, too. (smirks sheepishly) And now, this little one is finally out – be that a good thing or not…!

FULL SUMMARY: Four months after 'TGOF', things seem rather tense between Naruto and a very pregnant Sasuke. What has happened? Things are made even more complicated when two old enemies arrive - and the life of one of their sons soon hangs in a balance as the chase for the Kyuubi begins once again. Will their family make it through this one? Will Sasuke survive through the childbirth?

WARNINGS: YAOI, MPREG, spoilers to those following anime instead of manga (or who are behind in the manga), sadness, adult themes, language, an author who loves torturing poor readers….

DISCLAIMER: Me, OWN?! That's gotta be the worst joke of the century – today it took most of the cash I had to get my bike fixed up!

**THE FULL SUMMARY**: Four months after 'TGOF', things seem rather tense between Naruto and a very pregnant Sasuke. What has happened? Things are made even more complicated when two old enemies arrive - and the life of one of their sons soon hangs in a balance as the chase for the Kyuubi begins once again. Will their family make it through this one? Will Sasuke survive through the childbirth?

**A LITTLE RECAP OF 'TGOF'**: Pein's attack changed and shattered a lot of things; Hinata died trying to protect Naruto (which Neji didn't manage to forgive for a long time), Iruka was injured so badly that he lost all his memories and Kakashi died (which scarred Iruka deeply, although he couldn't understand why without the memories), and Tsunade was also badly injured (from which she, fortunately, recovered). Pein also died.

One week after Pein's attack, Naruto and Sasuke had an encounter in the woods – which, thanks to Orochimaru's sick experiments, ended up to Sasuke getting pregnant. The Uchiha, of course, wasn't all that excited when finding out six weeks later. He, however, chose not to get rid of the baby when Karin offered a chance. Deciding to move before it'd be 'challenging', Sasuke moved towards Konoha – and ended up getting arrested by Danzo right before Naruto's eyes. After spending a while seething in a jail, Sasuke was – thanks to Sakura's persuasion – allowed to house-arrest under Naruto's observation. None of them, of course, knew that this was only Danzo's scheme; he and his posses were only waiting for the Uchiha to make a mistake. While our favorite couple lived together they, of course, ended up getting closer – slowly, and (particularly from Sasuke's behalf) reluctantly. Then Naruto found out through a near-miscarriage that Sasuke was pregnant, which pushed them closer in a whole another way – especially when they found out they'd in fact lost one of the twins Sasuke was carrying. They didn't, however, have a long time to recover, for Sasuke wasn't weavering from his plans; he had Juugo and Suigetsu take Naruto away from the village, activated the resistance he'd helped gather against Danzo (which caused a mini-war the resistance won) and into their hideout while he attacked Danzou. (During this hassle, everyone was led into believing Karin was killed by Kisame.) Sasuke's attempts were succesfull (or so we assume); he poisoned Danzo, and was about to leave the village – when he ran into Madara, who gave him startling news that unless the man would help him, the pregnancy would kill him. Those news on his mind, Sasuke made it to Naruto, who – understandably – wasn't all that thrilled by how much danger he'd just been in. During the following weeks the two of them grew even closer still, until particularly hard symptoms made Sasuke think he'd have to accept Madara's offer. He left Naruto with a heavy heart, and headed straight into Madara's pawns – who, in turn, was aiming for a jackpot with both a Sharingan-weilder, a VERY strong baby and the Kyuubi-host into his hands. He was, however, saved by Naruto, who attacked the base with some friends, fought Madara and with difficulty managed to kill the man. (During this battle Kisame turns his coat, attacking Konan and forcing her to run away.) Naruto and Sasuke almost had a clean start – until Sasuke was sent to serve a sentence for what he'd done in the hospital, and Naruto was sent to a long mission away. And then came the fateful day of the birth. Naruto, fortunately, made it to Sasuke's side right on time, and after an extremely close call the Uchiha pulled through (with a little bit help from Itachi…). They had a baby-boy they decided to name Taichi. Now, fifteen years later, they also have another son named Kai. They're still together, Sai and Sakura are married, and there seems to be a tingle between Iruka and Yamato. Neji also spends a lot of time in Suna… In short, everything's perfect – until dark clouds start to gather, and old enemies reappear…

Awkay, without any further blabbering (I hope you've all made it this far…)… Let's rooock – I really hope ya'll enjoy! (gulps nervously)

* * *

_**The Tricks of Destiny**_

* * *

**PHASE 1 – Where Dark Clouds Appear**

* * *

Naruto's blue eyes were somewhat thoughtful while he observed his slowly waking up village through the huge window of his office.

It'd been a long, hard road to guide Konoha through the devastation Pein, Madara and even Danzo had left behind, but now it was easy to think that nothing special had happened at all. People were smiling happily, kids were allowed to play without a care. Old scars weren't raw and tender anymore. They'd had many years of peace and quiet.

He felt like wincing all of a sudden, and folded his arms.

He really wished he could've said the same about himself. Especially lately his life had been far from peace and quiet.

Much to his embarrasment, he jumped slightly when there was a knock on the door of his office. Turning around, he grinned when finding Sakura entering. "Hey. I thought you weren't supposed to go back to working until tomorrow."

"I'm not." She shrugged, appearing somewhat sheepish. "Sai's on a mission, and I was starting to climb to the walls."

He snorted with amusement. "How nice to know I'm good substitude pastime."

She smiled. "I thought I should come and see if we'd manage to kidnap you for some ramen."

He blinked twice. _We_?

It wasn't until then he noticed the bungle in Sakura's arms. His grin from before grew tenfold as he walked up to take a peek, and found an almost four months old baby-boy with a thick bush of dark hair looking back at him with thougthful green eyes. "Hey, kiddo." He poked the baby's nose, which first made it sneeze, then smile with utter delight and giggle. "You haven't been giving mommy hard time, have you?"

Sakura chuckled. "No, he hasn't. Yuki's probably the most content child ever born. Mommy's also fine, though worried all the time." Her green eyes were suddenly much more serious when she looked at him. "But honestly, I came to see how _you_ are doing."

His face immediately fell, and he turned back towards the window to discover that sun had slipped to behind a cloud. "Honestly… I still feel like crap." _And I miss him, a lot._

Sakura held a moment's pause before talking in an atypically soft tone. "He'll come back today, Naruto. Then you'll talk. Everything's going to work out."

He nodded slowly, wishing he'd been more sure. "Yeah. I guess."

This time they both jumped, and Yuki emitted a tiny yelp-like sound when the room's door opened after a brief knock. "Dad, there's…" Taichi seemed slightly embarrassed when noticing that Naruto wasn't alone. "Uhm… Sorry."

Sakura grinned and ruffled the teen's hair. "It's okay, I was just leaving." She then gave Naruto a stern look. "You, stop worrying and remember what I said."  
He nodded, feeling far colder than he should've. He watched in silence as she left, then shifted his attention to his son. He frowned at the troubled look on the teen's face and in those blue eyes. "Hey, what's wrong?"

Taichi swallowed thickly, and barely managed to gather the courage for looking at him. "Dad… There's something I've been supposed to tell you for a long time." The boy took a deep breath, and focused on staring at a stain on the office's wall. Fists balled. "I… I've joined the ANBU/Root. And I'm going to my first official mission the day after tomorrow."

At first he felt too numb to react in any way whatsoever. Then, very slowly, his eyes widened and his blood ran cold as facts sunk in. "What?!" He knew far too well how dangerous the missions of that organization were. And now his own son…

He didn't even know what to think.

Taichi's blue eyes seemed troubled when searching his. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, but there was never a good time."

He blinked several times, fighting to get his head back on track. "Taichi… Those missions are dangerous. You do understand that, right? They've lost a lot of ninjas." His throat felt unbearably tight, and he had to clear it before he managed to go on. "Are you sure you're ready for something like that?"

"I know all that, and I'm ready. I'm already a fully trained ninja." Suddenly a spark of determination he knew very well appeared to his son's eyes. "I didn't come to ask for your permission. I just… I want you to know, and understand, before I go."

For the longest time – possibly even a full minute – he couldn't do anything but stare at his son. Then, very slowly, a sad smile appeared to his face while he walked up to his son and pulled the teen into a tight, tender embrace.

Taichi squirmed, obviously embarrassed. "Hey, what's this for?"

He shook his head, barely managing to speak. "Nothing. Sometimes you just surprise me with how much you've grown, that's all", he explained in a slightly choked tone. It took a moment before he let go of his son and started to make his way towards his desk. He winced at the pile of papers waiting for him; lately it'd been next to impossible to get anything done. "I… guess I should get back to work."

"Yeah." Taichi's voice was slightly shaky. "We'll talk again later."

While slumping to behind his desk and staring at his papers, Naruto couldn't help feeling intense rage towards Hiashi Hyuuga. That man was the leader of ANBU/Root. How could he invite in the Hokage's son who was only fifteen? Why hadn't he been told about this?

He'd sunken so deep into thoughts that Taichi's voice caught him off guard. "Dad?" The boy was looking at him with worried eyes. "You and _papa_… haven't broken up or anything, have you? He's going to come back."

For several moments he didn't have the slightest clue what to say – he couldn't even react. Then, quite slowly, he managed to pull on a rather pathetic fake-smile. "Meh, of course we're not breaking up. Why did you think that?"

Taichi seemed far too serious. "I've heard you – both I and Kai have. It's been going on for weeks already."

The fake-smile started to hurt. "Everything's going to be okay, Tai." He hoped from the bottom of his heart he wasn't lying. "We just… need some time to sort things out, that's all."

Once again Taichi looked incredibly lot like Sasuke when looking at him with observant eyes before nodding. "'K." The boy then waved a little. "I've gotta go – there's a lot I need to take care of before the mission. See you at home." As an afterthought the boy added. "And dad? Try to come before eight today, will you? Kai misses you almost as much as he does _papa_."

He nodded, for once in his life not managing to find the words. Taichi's lips parted, but instead of speaking the boy left.

Once he'd been left alone, he took a deep breath and focused on looking out the window. Although it'd been sunny all morning, the sky now promised rain.

With a loud groan he leaned his head against the glass.

He was in a serious need of sake.

* * *

The house was eerily quiet while Sasuke pushed the door open that night, using all his skills to make as little noise as possible.

The last thing he wanted was everyone waking up.

He was so exhausted that he let his legs do all thinking for him. Quite soon he found himself peering into Taichi's room. The teen was sleeping peacefully with one of his legs hanging from the bed, breathing deeply and occisionally wrinking his nose at the dream he was having. Sasuke figured that even a bomb wouldn't wake the teen up.

He gave a tiny, wry smile.

_That kid's always had Naruto's sleeping-habits._

It wasn't until then moonlight revealed a bag resting in the room's corner, obviously prepared for a long mission. His eyes darkened.

Of course Taichi had done missions before, but that didn't mean he would've gotten used to them. The role of a parent wasn't always exactly pleasant.

Emitting a small breath, he closed the door soundlessly, leaving his older son to sleep. For several seconds he stood in the hallway, completely paralyzed by all the thoughts bouncing around in his head, then started to move once more.

As soon as he opened the door of his younger son's room, he found it hard to hold back a smile when finding a pair of onyx eyes that quickly lit up at the sight of him. Fighting to hide his limp, he slipped into the room and sat to the child's bedside. In an isntant a pair of arms was wrapped around him so tightly that he could barely breathe. "Kai, you should be asleep."

"I had a nightmare", Kai mumbled, face buried to his chest. "I wanted to wait for you – I missed you." The child then emitted a sniff or a chuckle, clutching to him even more tightly. "You smell horrible, _papa_."  
He chuckled, ruffling the child's hair. "I know." Then, as gently as he could, he pried the child into letting go and tucked him in. "Now go to sleep, okay? I'll see you in the morning."

Hope lit into Kai's eyes. "Will you sleep with dad? He's been lonely in the bed – he cried last night."

He was fairly sure his eyes darkened while he grit his teeth. "We'll see. But you don't need to worry about that." He then ruffled the child's blond locks once more and pushed himself up. "G'night."

"'Night, _papa_." Kai was obviously already half-asleep, with his eyes closed. "'Good to get you home."

He watched his younger son for a little bit longer, then sneaked into the hallway and leaned heavily against the wall. Free of his will, his eyes moved towards the bedroom door, behind which Naruto was most likely sleeping. His onyx eyes darkened even further as he fought with his all to make up his mind, and winced a little when the baby kicked sharply and squirmed inside his already swollen bump.

Why did everything have to be so damn hard?

Groaning under a yet another violent kick, he decided that at first he'd need a long, hot shower to clear his head.

He was too damn tired for musings like this, anyway.

-

Naruto had almost drifted into a troubled sleep when noises of someone moving around in the apartment pulled him back to full awareness.

_Sasuke?_

All but holding his breath he remained absolutely still and waited, until steps eventually paused behind the room's door. After a few moments of hesitation the door was opened, and the arrival entered with Sasuke's familiar scent. Steps approached the bed slowly, and he wanted to wince when hearing a limp.

_That damn teme…!_

When Sasuke stopped right beside the bed, all breath got stuck in his throat as he waited for the man's decision.

Would he sleep in the bed, or wander off to the couch?

In the darkness he smiled as Sasuke finally slipped to the empty space beside him. Although he knew the Uchiha wasn't facing his way and kept distance, it felt like a tiny victory to have the raven back in the bed.

For the upcoming half an hour he remained absolutely still, listening as Sasuke breathed behind him. Then he couldn't take it any longer.

Cautiously, not wanting to disturb Sasuke if the man had dozed off, he turned towards the raven to find a back he could just see in the darkness. "Sasuke? Are you really asleep?" His throat was tight and his eyes stung, and his voice also didn't sound right. The unmoving figure before him didn't respond in any way whatsoever, and it took his all to keep tears from coming. He licked his lips before managing to whisper. "I just… I hate it when you go to missions, especially in that condition." He emitted a stiffled sniff. "I… I love you, and I'm sorry. And I'm glad you're back."

He waited for ten full minutes – which felt like years to him – but there was no response from the Uchiha. Feeling utterly defeated, sad and ready to scream, he shifted so that he was facing the opposite wall.

About an hour later he was so exhausted that he fell into a troubled sleep.

* * *

Sasuke's head was buzzing with thoughts while he lay on an extremely uncomfortable bed, staring at the surprisingly filthy roof above him.

He didn't know how long he'd been drifting in his thoughts until incredibly cold gell was dropped to his stomach all of a sudden. It took all his willpower not to emit a sound of surprise, and he was fairly sure he twitched.

"Sorry." Sakura sounded sincere enough. "That damn stuff is always too cold."

He squirmed to a better position, never noticing how his hand fumbled for something. "It's okay", he all but grunted out.

It was silent for a moment before Sakura spoke. "Where's Naruto? Does he know you're here?"

He shrugged, gritting his teeth. "I… don't know." He didn't like how bitter his voice sounded, but couldn't really do anything to help it. "He'd left to the office when I woke up."

Sakura sighed heavily, and kept a long moment's pause while moving a tiny device on his stomach. "He really missed you, okay? And he's sorry." He could feel her looking at him, but wouldn't meet her gaze. "Don't you think he's already suffered enough?"

He emitted a small growl, his eyes narrowing.

He didn't have any answers anymore.

"The baby seems to be fine." Sakura's voice shook him out of his dark musings. He discovered that she was looking at a tiny screen with a smile on her face. "It's a lively little thing, too. The blow you got didn't do her any damage."

He quirked an eyebrow, strange feelings swelling in his chest and stomach. "'Her'?"

Sakura nodded with a wide grin. "You've been right from the beginning. You're gonna have a baby-girl."

He blinked, and focused on the roof once more. It was surprisingly hard to keep his emotions in check. "Hn", was all he managed.

Obviously to give him a moment to gather himself, Sakura wiped the gell from his stomach, then searches for some papers before speaking again. "As from today, you won't be taking any more missions." She gave him a threatening look. "There's no use in glaring at me, Uchiha. You're five months pregnant. We both know this is necessary – for you _and_ the baby. You've already taken too many risks."

He fixed his glare to the window, noticing that rain had started to fall outside. "Hmph."

Sakura wrote down something before focusing on him once more. "So… How have you been feeling lately?"

He felt like snorting. He was so tired that he could barely stand, threw up about thirty times a day, plus had more stomach-cramps and headaches than he could count. "The usual."

Sakura seemed to sigh inwardly while nodding and writing again.

The hospital, Sakura's words and a yet another headache eventually became too much for him. He looked towards the pinkette. "The poking's over with, right? Can I go now?"

Sakura nodded, appearing thoughtful. "Go home and get some rest. And remember to come to me if anything unexpected occurs, understood?"

He nodded, then got up much faster than his head would've allowed and started to march towards the room's door as though it'd been a sanctuary.

Just before he was out Sakura's voice made him halt. "One more thing." He wouldn't turn towards her, but her tone told everything necessary. "I… I know you love each other, okay? So… Stop doing this to each other and your sons, please. Stop…." _Stop wasting your time_, was something she couldn't bear to say.

For a couple of moments he remained frozen, his fists balled and his eyes narrowed against something. Then, as suddenly as the tension had appeared, it disappeared. "See you later." With that he walked out, leaving a exasperated Sakura behind.

* * *

Late that evening Sai was just coming home from a mission – exhausted to the core and deep in thought – when he saw something by the village's borderline, approaching him. At first he was almost sure he was looking at a ghost, but then the figure became far too clear. He froze, his eyes widening a fraction when moonlight revealed Danzo's face.

_Impossible…!_

Danzo was supposed to be dead. Danzo wasn't supposed to be here, walking towards him with that haughty expression.

The man chuckled chillingly. "Now what's this? You look like you'd seen a ghost."

He instinctively took a step backwards, his hand flying to a weapon. "How…?" His lips moved, but no words came. "Why…?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Danzo's visible eye flashed. "I've returned to take back what's mine."

* * *

Not all that far away from Konoha, Zetsu watched how Kabuto's eyes flew open, and the man grinned devilishly. "Well?"

"Everything's working according to the plan." The man's eyes flashed. "In a matter of days Naruto and Sasuke's older brat will cross paths with us."

He quirked an eyebrow. "Why, exactly, are we doing this?"

Kabuto smirked again, even more chillingly than the last time. "Isn't it simple? If you want a beast to come to you, the surest call is the cry of its child." The man then got up, starting to walk away. "Now start getting ready. There's a lot we need to do."

* * *

TBC, OR DOES IT??

* * *

A/N: Gah! Things are really messed up, ne? (winces)

So… (gulps thickly) Was that a worthy start, or should I just disown this lil' one? Whadda you say?

**PLEASE**, do review – it'd mean a lot to hear your opinion, especially with how insecure I always am with first chapters! (glances all but pleadingly, thinking of fitting pribes)

Awkay, I've spent WAY too much time on a computer already, so I've gotta start tuning out. (winces)

Until next time, folks – with whatever story that may be! Thank you so much for reading!

Take care!

* * *


	2. Where It’s Calm Before the Storm

A/N: I'm FINALLY back with another chapter – whether that's a good thing or not! (grins)

BUT, before getting to the story… Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all those amazing reviews you've left for this! I could've NEVER imagine that a sequel would get that much attention. (BEAMS, and huggles) Thank you! As always with my stories, responses to anonymous reviews can be found from underneath the chappy.

Awkay, because I don't have the heart to keep you waiting any longer… Let's go and find out what tore a rift between our favorite couple – and what'll be done to try and fix it! (grins) I REALLY hope ya'll enjoy!

* * *

**PHASE 2 – Where It's Calm Before the Storm**

* * *

/ _Naruto's eyes were flashing with several emotions as he watched Sasuke getting dressed in a tiny, uncomfortably hot hospital room._

_It was three days earlier the Uchiha had almost miscarried, as Sakura had told him when he'd barged into the hospital. He was still beyond grateful it'd been Taichi, not Kai, who'd found the raven unconscious on their backyard; their younger son was still terrified for his _papa_ as it was. Not that Naruto himself would've been any better._

_Twice over he'd already watched how Sasuke had almost died – bleeding beyond any human limitations, screaming from agony he couldn't even imagine – while giving birth to their sons. And now… a third time? He remembered much too well what'd been told after Kai's birth; the Uchiha's body, as well-trained as it was, most likely wouldn't last another round. And Naruto couldn't bear even the thought of losing the man he loved beyond any reason. That's why he didn't know what he was feeling when watching Sasuke's momentarily bare stomach, which – at the end of the first trimester – was barely visibly swollen to whisper about the secret inside it._

_Obviously sensing his stare, Sasuke turned to look at him with a frown after getting dressed. "Now why are you so thoughtful?"_

_He most certainly didn't think about the words before he blurted them out, much less did he think how to set what he was trying to say. His lips moved free of his will. "Sasuke, we… we can't go through with this again, okay?" Even the Uchiha's apparent shock and the dangerous expression that followed wouldn't stop him once the flood was unleashed. "This… This baby could kill you – you know that as well as I do!"_

_Sasuke's onyx eyes flashed in a way that made him want to retreat a step. "Are you telling me that you'd be willing to sacrifice this child?" The man's voice was a dangerous growl while protective hands shielded the tiny bump. "Do you understand that this is a living beginning of a human being you're talking about?"_

_His eyes stung, but tears didn't come. "I know, Sasuke, and I feel horrible about it! It'd be devastating. But… I could learn to live with it. Without you, on the other hand…" He shook his head and one tear rolled to dry soon after. "I… I couldn't live without you, okay?"_

_Sasuke's eyes seemed to gain a slight red glow while the raven looked at him with an expressiom he'd never seen before. "I'm not letting you or anyone else harm this baby, do you understand?"_

_"What about me?" he cried out, fighting to hold back the storm of tears. "Or Taichi and Kai – have you thought about them at all? They need you, damn it – I don't want to raise them alone!"_

_Sasuke's eyes turned darker than any shade of black. "Do you honestly think I haven't been rolling all those thoughts over and over again in my head? That I'm not scared?" Those words shocked them both – it was the first time the raven ever admitted being afraid. "I'm not ecstatic about this, either, but I don't need another huge mistake haunting me for the rest of my fucking life! I'm not butchering my own child!"_

_Naruto wondered if the heat on his cheeks was tears, anger or frustration. "I'm not letting it kill you, either!" It wasn't until then his head caught up with his words, and his eyes widened. "Sasuke…" And at the worst possible moment he had no words. What could he have said to make the situation better, anyway?_

_For several moments Sasuke stared at him as though not even recognizing him anymore; like he'd turned into some sort of a monster. Then, so fast that he couldn't make a move, the raven stormed past him and slammed the door while going._

-

_Naruto knew there was no approaching Sasuke when the Uchiha was as furious as he was the evening following their brawl in the hospital. And so, quite unwisely, he ended up to a bar instead._

_Several hours later and after far too many drinks he found himself from a park's bench, next to Neji who was in a equally pitiable condition._

_Some years earlier, with Hinata's memory still too freash and bitter, such a situation might've been uncomfortable to them. But now all past was finally safely behind them, so he found himself speaking. "What's your excuse?" Then, with drunken logic, he came to a conclusion. "Does your love-life suck, too?"_

_Neji made a sound he couldn't identify. "You could say that. Gaara's been acting weirdly for the past three or four weeks, and now it's been two weeks from when we last talked." The brunet winced. "I think he's gonna leave me."_

_He winced as well. "That sucks." He then looked away, stared at some unnamed spot with hazy eyes. "I think I'll be single, too. I just pissed off Sasuke big time – I was a real bastard." He felt like sniffing, but managed to hold it back. "I don't think any apologies will make this one right."_

_"Hey, chin up." Neji's tone and choice of words surprised him. The man was looking at him with an expression he couldn't read in his current condition. "You… You've always been the optimistic one. If you lose hope, I will, too."_

_They looked at each other, both drunk, lonely and out of their minds. All they could see were the ones they would've wanted to be with. And then Naruto made the biggest mistake in his entire life._

_Without thinking and ignoring all the voices inside screaming at him to stop, he leaned forward and brought his lips to Neji's. After a moment of shock the Hyuuga responded eagerly, clearly forgetting who was kissing him. The taste of liquorice filled Naruto's mouth._

_The blond frowned all of a sudden._

_Sasuke never tasted like candies of any sort._

_He pulled away as rapidly as he could, his eyes flying wide – and met Neji's unnaturally pale, almost terrified face. "Oh shit…" He wasn't sure which one whispered, or if it was both of them._

_That should _not_ have happened._

_And then, as though things hadn't been bad enough, they heard steps. A cry of startle and agony escaped through his throat when he saw Sasuke. The raven was looking at them with such an expression of several emotions that absolutely broke his heart. Before he could do or say a thing the Uchiha spun around and started to march away, eventually disappearing into the shadows._

_"Oh shit…", Neji groaned._

_Naruto, on the other hand, couldn't speak, could barely breathe. It felt like heart had been stolen from his chest. In a moment tears started to run down his cheeks and he threw up loudly._ /

* * *

Sasuke's eyes opened; slowly and calmly, as though it'd been the simplest thing in the world. For the first time in ages he felt at least somewhat rested.

For a couple of minutes he simply lay on the bed – staring at the white ceiling above him – until an intense wave of nausea washed over him with such force that he gagged while bolting out of the bed. He barely made it to the bathroom before it would've been too late. Once he'd emptied even the furthest corners of his stomach he sat on the floor with his eyes closed and focused on breathing.

Damn, how he hated being pregnant sometimes.

Just then sounds he couldn't identify right away floated to his ears. A tiny frown appeared to his face. It was barely six o'clock in the morning – no one else woke up this early. So who was making the rockus?

His knees still slightly weak, he pushed himself up and started to make his way towards their tiny spare-room, from where the sounds were coming. He wasn't sure if it was the sight before him or hormones that made his body react the way it did when he stood by the doorway.

In the room Naruto was obviously decorating. The tiny cradle Taichi and Kai had already slept in had been dragged down from the attic, and curtains had been placed to line the room's tiny window. All sorts of toys that were suitable for girls could be seen on the floor. The blond had clearly cleaned up as well, for instead of dust he smelled a touch of lemon in the air.

Just then Naruto noticed him. The blond seemed sheepish and nervous when grinning a little. "Sakura-chan told me the baby's a girl, so… I did a little shopping." The man looked around the room. "I think this room's kind of nice for her. It even has a view to that river we always had to pry Kai away from."

He nodded slowly, not sure what the feelings surging underneath his skin were. For a person like him it was unnerwing to feel so much at one go, and he was fairly sure his eyes narrowed a little. He opened his mouth, but in the end nothing came out.

But it appeared someone else had something to say. A tiny hiss erupted through his grit teeth and his hand flew to his stomach when the baby delivered a mighty blow straight to his ribs. Apparently the squirt had woken up.

Naruto, of course, was immediately alarmed. "Sasuke? What's wrong?"

He hesitated for a long moment before taking his hand away from his stomach, leaving it unshielded. "The baby's kicking." It was the first time he was about to let Naruto touch his baby-bump, and he still wasn't fully certain if he could trust the blond enough to do so.

At first Naruto looked at him with something close to shock. Then, quite slowly, hope lit up the blue eyes and the blond walked slowly over to him. The hand placed to his abdomen was gentle and cautious.

It took a couple of moments, but eventually the baby gave a couple of more blows, as though recognizing her dad's presence. Naruto's eyes widened, then gained a look that couldn't be misread. The blond looked up at him with some daze. "She's got one hell of a kick."

He snorted. "You think I haven't noticed?" His voice was slightly softer than he'd first indented, but he didn't manage to care.

So passed almost ten minutes, with Naruto's hand lingering on his stomach while the baby gave occasional harsh kicks. Then – so suddenly that it caught him by surprise – the blond's arms wrapped tenderly around him and pulled him into a hug there was no getting away from.

At first he was about to snarl at Naruto, but in the end his body decided against it and his other hand moved behind the blond's back instead. His eyes were darker than usual as he stood there, letting Naruto hold him while the blond's whole frame shook.

It was too long from when they'd last been like this, damn it, and he was sick of punishing Naruto.

Enough time had been wasted already.

-

Neither noticed that after about five minutes of hugging they weren't alone anymore. At first Kai yawned and rubbed his face to wake himself up, but then a wide grin appeared when the child saw his parents.

So things were finally turning for the better. He couldn't wait to get to tell his brother about this.

Careful not to make a sound he turned around and started to tiptoe away, leaving the two into their own peace.

Maybe now they wouldn't notice if he pinched a couple of cookies and a tomato before breakfast.

* * *

A couple of hours later the mood was a lot more solemn as the family of four stood outside the house, with Naruto and Sasuke watching Kai hugging Taichi as though never wanting to let go. Sobs rocked the younger brother's tiny frame. "I don't want you to go, brother! Those missions always take so long."

Taichi's eyes were softer than usual when the boy patted the younger child's hair. "I know, and I wouldn't want to leave you, either." Very gently he pushed the other kid further so they could look at each other. "These missions are my duty as a ninja. But I'll come back sooner than you know it, okay? I'll come back to you."

Kai sniffed, some hope appearing. "Really?"

Taichi nodded, smiling a little. "Yeah, I promise." The boy poked his brother's forehead with two fingers, which was a habit that still chilled Sasuke. "I wouldn't leave you behind, now would I?"

Once more Kai hugged his older brother, although much more briefly this time. "You better keep that promise."

Naruto was the next one to hug the older brother, ignoring the teen's heavy weaponary. "Come back in one piece, understood?" The blond's back was to the rest of them so they couldn't see his expression, but the tone told everything necessary. "Even one scratch and you'll get the lecture of the century."

Taichi rolled his eyes, but there seemed to be something almost sad behind the gesture. "I know, I know. You're even worse than _papa_ sometimes."

Once the two parted, Taichi and Sasuke looked at each other as though memorizing, then exchanged a long nod. That gesture and their expressions spoke everything necessary.

"I've gotta go – my team's already waiting for me." While turning around Taichi gave a small wave, then looked at his almost teary brother once more. "Don't look so worried. When I come back we'll have some ramen."

Whereas Naruto grinned just a little, Sasuke and Kai wrinkled their noses at the thought. "Ewww!" was Kai's comment.

After that Kai quickly slipped inside, not bearing to watch his brother walk away. The parents stood silently on the porch, watching how their older son disappeared into distance. Without saying a word Naruto wrapped his arms around Sasuke, and felt a tinge of relief when the raven relaxed a little instead of pushing him away.

"He said a week, right?" Sasuke murmured, his eyes glued to the spot to which their son had disappeared.

Naruto could only nod, his throat unbearably tight and dry.

_You better be careful out there, because…_ He swallowed thickly. _Because I'd never forgive myself if something happened to you._

* * *

About an hour later – once Kai had disappeared off to training and Sasuke had fallen asleep after throwing up five times – Naruto decided that he needed to do something to get his mind off of all mess or he'd lose his mind. And so he headed for a little walk.

He'd been walking around rather aimlessly for almost half an hour – even passing by Ichiraku's – until he suddenly bumped into someone. He blinked twice, then frowned when seeing Sakura, who obviously hadn't slept at all the night before. "Hey, what's wrong?"

She took in a deep breath and bit her lower lip. "I'm just… a bit worried." She frowned as well. "Sai was supposed to come home yesterday, but I still haven't seen him."

He tried to grin, although something uncomfortable squirmed in his stomach. Sai was one of those ninjas who never came home late from missions – especially now that he had a wife and a baby-boy waiting for him. "I'm sure he's okay, Sakura-chan. It's not rare that ninjas are one day late."

The pinkette nodded, clearly not believing him entirely. She then decided to switch topic. "So… Have you and Sasuke already talked?"

He nodded and grinned faintly, the tension inside him easing a little. At least something was going right. "Yeah, we… kind of talked. At least he lets me touch him now – that's progress." He then looked to side when hearing noises, and saw a little girl smiling brightly while walking between her parents, holding their hands. His eyes darkened. "But… I'm still scared. He's so sick already – what if…?" He trailed off.

"I know." There was a tiny, sad smile of understanding on Sakura's face. "I know that it probably doesn't help at all, but… I'm sure everything's going to work out in the end, okay? And you can come and talk to me anytime you want – both of you can."

He couldn't help smiling at the expression on her face, and at how the emotions inside him had changed from their teenage years. They were really adults, weren't they? "Thanks, Sakura-chan", he murmured.

Just then they were interrupted when a redheaded assistant of Sakura's who's name he couldn't remember rushed over to them, panting heavily. She blushed a little when recognizing him. "I… I'm sorry to interrupt, but… There's a patient who needs urgent help."

Sakura nodded, then looked towards him. "I'll see you later."

He nodded. "See you. And stop worrying about Sai – I'm sure he'll come home soon."

A look he couldn't recognize flashed by Sakura's face. "So will Taichi. They're skilled ninjas – we shouldn't worry." With that she turned and rushed after her student.

He looked at her distancing back, then took a deep breath and turned around.

Both he and Sasuke were fed up with tension and silence. It was high time to try and makes things right.

* * *

When Sasuke woke up to someone stroking his cheek, the first thing he realized when opening his eyes was how dark it already was. He groaned a little, his head foggy and hurting from too much rest.

He hadn't been supposed to sleep this long.

"Hey." Despite darkness he could see that there was an apologetic look on Naruto's face. "I'm sorry – I didn't mean to wake you."

He shook his head while fighting against yawning, and pushed his uncomfortably heavy body into a sitting position. "I already slept too much." He then frowned. "How's Kai?"

"Sleeping – he trained a little too hard and exhausted himself." Naruto grinned somewhat cheekily in the darkness. "'Guess he just had to take after his _papa_ with that."

"Hn." Just then a pain – such that felt like a blade's hit – made its way through his stomach at least six times, and a loud groan pushed its way through his grit teeth. _What the…?_ Sensing Naruto's worry, he realized that he'd have to say something. "Cramps." He didn't feel like mentioning that he'd never experienced anything quite like that before. The last thing his soon to be exploding headache needed was the Uzumaki in a worried state.

Naruto nodded, then – after obviously considering it for a mighty while – moved his shirt so that his stomach was bare, and tried the skin with a soft hand.

He frowned, deeply puzzled. "What are you doing?"

Naruto grinned. "Just lay down and relax, will you? Trust me."

Somewhat suspicious, he allowed Naruto to push him back down. At first he tensed up completely with surprise, then relaxed to the touch when the blond started to massage his stomach with extremely gentle hands. During all the years they'd been together Naruto had never done anything like this, and it felt… surprisingly good, actually. The nausea and headache he'd been suffering from all day faded away for a moment, the cramps vanished. He emitted a tiny sound he would've normally been embarrassed by when closing his eyes.

"It was just one stupid, drunken kiss – you've gotta believe me." Naruto spoke so quietly that the words barely carried to his ears. "I really am sorry, Sasuke. And I love you more than you could ever imagine – both of you. I couldn't bear losing either one of you." It sounded like the blond sniffed a little, which made him feel slightly uncomfortable. "I… I know I fucked up, but… I can't take this anymore, okay? I miss you."

His throat felt somewhat tight while he lay down absolutely still, then – ignoring the sounds of his pride – covered one of Naruto's hands with his own. "Dobe", he murmured hoarsely. It'd been _years _from when he'd last used that nickname.

Naruto gave a wet chuckle, kissing his forehead. "Teme."

The night was calm around them – reminding them of the calm before the storm – while Naruto kept massaging his abdomen and he lay absolutely still, thoughts spinning around madly.

They both tried to ignore the sound of a clock ticking in the distance.

* * *

In the meantime Hiashi Hyuuga stifled a yawn and growled sulkily while making his way towards the council's meeting room.

He absolutely hated unexpected early or late meetings like this one – he found it harder and harder to wake himself up. Perhaps it meant that he was getting old, although even the mere thought brought him chills.

When he opened the room's huge door, however, he was immediately far from sleepy. For sitting before the rest of the very pale council was none other than Danzo, very much alive and well.

He couldn't keep his eyes from widening slightly.

How the hell was this possible?!

Danzo's visible eye flashed dangerously when spotting him. "Hiashi Hyuuga. How nice that you finally decided to show up."

He frowned, closing the door and approaching the table almost cautiously. "What's going on here?" he demanded in a tight tone.

A dark aura of some sort rose to loom all around Danzo. He didn't think anyone had ever looked more threatening. "I'm sure you understand that I didn't give up on my position as Konoha's leader willingly." The man's tone was as threatening as a beast's. "I've come to reclaim my rightful position – and to punish all those who plotted against me."

* * *

In the woods right outside Konoha, Kabuto's eyes moved barely visibly as Zetsu appeared to stand beside him. "Well?"

The other man nodded. "Yup, you were right. Taichi's right nearby. He's got two teammates with him, but I doubt they'd be much of a challenge."

"Very good." A blade flashed in moonlight. "Then let's go and deliver a little message, shall we?"

* * *

TBC, no?

* * *

A/N: So that's what happened. When it comes to each other, those two just can't act reasonably, eh? (winces) However, it looks like things are turning towards the better. But how long will that ever last…? (rolls eyes)

Awkay, I really should start tuning off now, but first… **PLEASE**, let me know if this chappy was any good or not! Personally I'm not sure about some parts, so it'd be great to hear your opinion. (gives huge puppy-dog eyes) Pretty pwease?

IN THE NEXT ONE (unless you want this to end right here, of course): Naruto and Sasuke are trying to catch their breath and enjoy the time they have, but peace is quickly shattered by several bad news that slash both of them deeply. Things will never be the same again.

Until next time, folks – when or with whichever story that may be!

Peace out!

* * *

**dula kun**: A sequel it is! (grins) Glad to hear you're so happy about it.

Colossal thank yous for the review!

'Hope ya'll be staying tuned.

-

**carmen**: I'm extremely happy to hear that you liked the first one! (grins from ear to ear)

Monumental thank yous for the review!

'Hope you'll join in for the next one(s).


	3. Where It Hits the Hardest

A/N: AIEEEE, it took me a lot longer than it should've to update! (winces) I just had a bit of faith/inspiration issues with this chapter. (groans) BUT, now the new chapter is finally here – whether that's a good thing or bad! (grins)

BUT, first off… Awww – thank you, from the very bottom of my heart, for those lovely reviews you've left for this story! (huggles) This story would've been thrown into a trashcan without you, so thank you.

Awkay, because I've already kept you waiting… Here we go! (gulps nervously) I really hope you'll enjoy the ride.

Eh… I wonder if I should give a tiny tissue warning here…?

* * *

PHASE 3 – Where It Hits the Hardest

* * *

_Six Days Later_

* * *

Rain fell heavily that night, and in the distance the low rumble of thunder could be heard. For the past twenty-four hours the weather had been so horrible that only the most urgent matters had been enough to make anyone go outside. But Naruto Uzumaki, for one, wasn't complaining, not with what he was holding in his arms.

He grinned slightly when watching how Sasuke's face changed a little with something that looked like an unpleasant dream, and the raven's hand twiched a little, attempting to swat something that was invisible to him. Then, as fast as the disturbance had appeared, the Uchiha relaxed once more with a tiny sigh, without knowing what he was doing leaning closer to him like a cat looking for warmth.

Naruto found it extremely hard to hold back a chuckle. Waking up in his arms was still sometimes a huge blow to the Uchiha's ego, although he could tell the unhealthily proud man enjoyed it. He could only wonder what the raven would say if he'd ever tell him about his sleeping antics. If he'd reveal that they were one of the million tiny things he loved, and would miss if…

His face fell as coldness filled him, and he pulled the Uchiha slightly closer.

Four months of this just wasn't enough, not even close. He refused to believe that…

Just then his sullen thoughts became cut when Sasuke moved ever so slightly. The raven looked at him with a sleepy frown when noticing his expression. "What's with the face?"

He shook his head, trying his hardest to pull on a at least somewhat believable grin. "Nah, I just… couldn't sleep, I guess." His gaze shifted to the raven's bump. He caressed it cautiously, knowing that there were still trust-issues between them. "And neither could she."

"Hn." The man's eyes fluttered while examining him, but the Uchiha fought sleep. "Is that really all there is?"

His lips opened, but instead of words a strange sound he didn't manage to identify came. He tried to grin although his eyes stung while he shook his head. "We're both too tired for this right now." He yawned, paying only half a mind on how he pulled the other man closer. "It's a couple of hours to the morning, right? Let's get some more sleep."

Sasuke felt slightly tense for a couple of moments, obviously debuting, then relaxed against him. It took almost half an hour before he managed to close his eyes, soothed by the Uchiha's familiar scent and the sound of the other's even breathing.

He was relieved by the fact that he had no more dreams that night.

* * *

The hospital was blissfully quiet when Naruto made his way through the hallways that early morning. Occasional people passing by gave him looks of surprise – few even going as far as bowing as a sign of respect – but he didn't pay much of attention to them. His chest clenched a little as he stood by a certain doorway.

Inside, Sakura was sitting on a chair beside a bed. Her back was towards him, but her slumped shoulders told everything necessary. Her eyes were apparently fixed on the much too still figure lay on the bed, and that's where his gaze also soon strayed.

Sai was still painfully pale and just as lifeless as he'd been for days already. It was equally infuriating not being able to do a thing as it was not knowing what'd happened. It was an illusion of some sort, was the medics' evaluation, such even Tsunade couldn't pull him out of. It looked like the man's whole mind and soul had been ripped from his body, leaving behind only an empty shell that barely had a heartbeat. No one knew how long a body could possibly last like that, without any spirit keeping it holding on.

Sai was slipping away, and all they could do was watch. Naruto could only recall a couple of times when he'd felt as helpless.

At that point Sakura, apparently, discovered that she was being observed. The tiny smile she pulled on was far from believable. "Hey." She then seemed embarrassed, as though she'd been doing something forbidden. "I… always come here, before my shift starts. I'm not allowed to treat him, but…" She trailed off.

He nodded, waving a hand. She definitely had every right to be in the room, especially since…

Swallowing thickly, he glanced briefly towards Sai. "So… Anything new?"

Sakura shook her head, her shoulders – if possible – slumping even further. "They… They said that if he doesn't show any signs of waking up soon…" She trailed off and looked away, obviously not wanting to face those words.

He swallowed thickly, his head whirring a million miles per hour. In the end his usual determination took control, and he took a deep breath. "You shouldn't give up hope, Sakura-chan." He wished he'd sounded a bit more convincing. "I mean… We've been through a lot worse. There's plenty of hope left."

Sakura looked at him with open surprise. "You sound confident."

His grin and voice had a sad sidetouch he failed to notice at the moment. "What else can we do but hope?"

Sakura responded with a sad smile.

* * *

When Naruto came home several hours later, after getting a headache from paperwork, he frowned at the feeling of something being amiss. Not that he should've been surprised by experiencing such – their family hadn't been full since Taichi's departure.

He was so deep in thought that he jumped when a lightning-like, yellow blop flashed into the room. "Brother?" Kai's onyx eyes darkened with disappointment for a moment when the boy saw him. "Oh, hi dad."

He smiled a little and ruffled his younger son's hair. "Don't worry – Tai's coming back soon, okay?" He then frowned and looked around, feeling chills of dread. "Where's Sasuke?" The Uchiha wasn't feeling _sick_ again, was he?

"He left ten minutes ago, for a walk." There was some worry in the boy's eyes. "You're not… fighting again, right?"

He grinned, although it hurt that Kai had to ask questions like that. "Nah, of course we're not. Don't worry." He then came to think of something. "You know, I think I know where he is. I'll be back soon."

He wasn't entirely sure what gave him the thought, but he found himself moving nonetheless, his feet leading the way.

The walk felt just as long as it always did, although the place he was headed only located in the forest close to the village's borderline. His feet felt so heavy that he gave a tiny sigh of relief when finally being allowed to stop. That emotion, however, quickly gave room for others when the sight met him. Apparently he'd been right, after all.

Only some steps away, Sasuke was stood before a plain yet beautiful wooden cross, his fists balled and posture far too stiff for it to be considered normal. The Uchiha wasn't crying, of course, but the man's onyx eyes certainly weren't free of emotions, either.

Quite slowly, his gaze moved briefly to read the name engraved to the cross.

'_Aiko_' (1)

His heart melted and broke at the same time as kept watching, then took a cautious step closer. Sasuke, of course, immediately felt his presence. Their gazes met, filled with thoughts and emotions.

Surprisingly enough it was Sasuke who broke the silence. "I… come here, from time to time. To not forget."

He gave a tiny, slightly sad smile. "You should've told me." His expression then faltered as he looked at the cross. "Trust me, I know how much it hurts to come here alone."  
Sasuke looked away, almost turned his back on him. "Hn."

After hesitating for a beat he took a step closer, then several more, until he found himself embracing the Uchiha. Neither spoke for a long moment. "Look, Sasuke…" Suddenly what he'd been supposed to say became lost.

Only wind spoke as they stood there, Sasuke still looking at the cross on their daughter's grave and he staring at the rows of crosses and stones spreading to what looked like all eternity on the nearby official cemetary. Suddenly his eyes were stinging, although he didn't know exactly why.

Never before had he had as much to say and had he been able to say so little.

He was fairly sure it'd been almost half an hour until he finally found the words and was able to trust his voice again. "Do you…?" He cleared his throat. "Do you think we could go home already? Tai should be coming back any minute now."

Sasuke didn't respond, didn't even move an inch.

Somewhat confused, he shrugged, not entirely disappointed by the opportunity to be like this now that the raven finally allowed him to actually hold him. "Okay", he murmured. "Maybe another five minutes won't hurt." At that point he didn't even notice his eyes were stinging anymore.

-

Sasuke closed his eyes and breathed in deep, getting his lungs full of Naruto's scent.

They'd both been through a lot and made their mistakes. But they were still together, struggling sometimes but together nonetheless. And now…

Now, all he coul hope was that Naruto wouldn't have another grave to visit in four months.

* * *

When they were coming back home, both Naruto and Sasuke froze once seeing a very solemn Suigetsu sitting on their doorstep.

Something was obviously badly wrong.

Sasuke was the first one to step forth, eyes hardening. "What's going on?"

"I told Sakura I'd come and tell you." Suigetsu looked directly to Sasuke's eyes, as though fearing nothing less would convince the Uchiha that he was telling the truth. "It's… about Taichi."

-

Looking out the house's window when hearing voices, Kai felt his heart skip a couple of beats at what he found.

Outside, his dad and _papa_ first simply stared at Suigetsu with disbelieving expressions. Then, very slowly, his _papa_'s face turned to a blood stilling blank mask while something extremely dark filled the man's eyes. His dad's eyes, on the other hand, were first wide with disbelief while color drained from the man's face, then filled with such horror that it could barely be called human. Faster than any thought the blond spun around and dashed into a run, quickly followed by his raven-haired partner.

Kai felt himself start to shiver.

Something was clearly horribly wrong. And he had a nasty feeling that it had something to do with Taichi.

Without wasting another second he sprinted after his parents, knowing they wouldn't notice.

* * *

Naruto's heart had never been hammering the way it did when he barged into the hospital, followed quite closely by Sasuke.

He'd seen those he loved get hurt and suffer far more times than he cared to remember. But this time… This time, it was his own child, his son. It was overwhelming.

And then, with his head still in a whir, he realized that Sakura was quite nearby. Not bearing to look at the blood on her clothes, he focused on her face. Her eyes, however, quickly smothered all hope there'd been inside him.

"How is he?" he blurted out before she got the chance to say a word.

She sighed, rubbing her face with one hand. "His injuries… are severe, and it's clear that he's been through a very harsh battle. We just performed a surgery on him, which went well." She hesitated for a moment. "From what I've managed to gather, his team was ambushed – there was one casualty." She paused for a too long moment. "Taichi fought back hard, and might've even won, if…" Her lips snapped together tightly all of a sudden, as though she'd said too much already.

"Sakura." Sasuke's voice was almost harsh – the same Naruto had often heard the Uchiha use during missions. Black eyes gave no chance for escape. "What's going on?"

Sakura's eyes were filled with sadness when she finally composed herself for a response. "Sasuke… Taichi has a Cursed seal."

Naruto felt like the bottom had dropped from his world, and he had to lean against the wall because his legs wouldn't support his weight. Icy coldness filled his whole body. His eyes narrowed under the hellish burning sensation that filled them.

Quite slowly, his gaze traveled to Sasuke, and he felt like wincing when seeing the expression on the usually stoic man's utterly pale face. The raven knew better than well what it felt like to live with the seal – one night, Sasuke had confessed to him that it'd felt like living without a soul sometimes. He couldn't even imagine what it must've felt like to hear that someone had done the same thing to the Uchiha's own son.

Sasuke staggered a step backwards, seeming ready to run away for a moment, until choked words came. "What… the hell are you talking about?"

Sakura gave them a couple of more moments before speaking, visibly pulling on a professional front. "Do you… remember that strange mark on your stomach, the one you got when Madara imprisoned you before Taichi's birth?" She inhaled sharply. "My best guess is, that he implanted the seal to Taichi then, to be activated later. It laid in slumber until someone who knew about Madara's plans and was skilled enough to do so brought it to life."

Naruto shuddered. He would've wrapped his arms around Sasuke, but didn't dare to do so and instead folded them to his chest. He fought to hold bile down.

So… for over fifteen years, that seal had been lingering there, waiting…

"How could it go unnoticed?" The words crawled through Sasuke's throat in a low, dangerous rumble. The man seemed to be shaking. "During all these years, how the hell is it possible that no one saw a thing?!"

His tone might've startled some, but Sakura remained unfaced. "It was hidden so well that it was impossible to detect." She grit her teeth. "This was Madara's last, desperate plan to get a hold of Taichi and the Sharingan."

Naruto felt like suffocating. The words he eventually wheezed came out chokedly and could barely be comprehended. "But you… You can do something, right?" His eyes were filled with despair as they searched through Sakura's. "There's… There's gotta be something…!" He trailed off.

The sadness in Sakura's eyes was so intense that it felt like a ton of bricks had hit him. She could barely look at either one of them. "Right now… we're keeping him sedated, to give him time to recover and to keep the seal under control. But… We can't keep going on like that forever. The seal will search for a hold of him, and then…" She shook her head, blinking furiously. "At the moment, we… we can't focus on further than tomorrow."

The feelings that came over Naruto at that very moment were so strong that they seemed to take over all of him. He could feel how the darkest of forces twirled inside him, searching for a way to push through, while his fists balled.

_Taichi…_

They'd gone too fucking far this time.

"Who the hell did this?" He barely realized that the nearly animalistic sound didn't come from him. Turning his gaze, he discovered that Sasuke's eyes were spinning with red and black as the man stood stiffly beside him. "Who attacked his team?"

Sakura swallowed thickly, obviously not sure if she should tell them this. "The teammember who suvived… told us he saw a Sharingan-eye." She sighed heavily. "He also gave the perfect description of Kabuto."

Something so hot and wild that it scared him bubbled inside Naruto. "Kabuto?" he hissed through tightly grit teeth.

Kabuto was back?

His eyes flashed while he balled his fists, feeling how the shield holding back the demon inside him shuddered.

That bastard would pay…!

"Naruto." The harshness in Sasuke's voice forced him to look towards the raven. Once more obsidian eyes were darker than a nighttime sky as they observed his. "I know that look. And I'm not going to let you repeat my mistakes."

In some other situation it might've amused him how their tables had turned. Sasuke was keeping him from taking the path of revenge? At the moment, however, he was anything but amused.

At first his eyes narrowed and his teeth screeched as he grit them. Then, very slowly, his muscles relaxed. It took a while before he realized that the far from healthy, wheezing sounds echoing in the room were his breathing.

Sakura was looking at him with a frown, clearly prepared to move fast. "Naruto?"

"I've gotta get some fresh air", was all he managed.

He couldn't breathe, couldn't focus, and most definitely couldn't think. The wand crushing his chest and stomach was so tight that it took his all not to emit a moan.

And then he was moving.

People were wise enough to stay out of his way as he went.

-

None of the adults managed to notice the much smaller figure that stood in the shadows, black eyes impossibly wide and face blanched. Horror-filled eyes watched first how Naruto marched away, then how Sasuke slumped to the nearest bench, his face – even paler than usual – completely blank. Sakura, visibly on the verge of tears, tried to say something to the raven, but none of it seemed to sink through.

First one tear rolled down Kai's cheek, then another, until clear trails could be seen on his cheeks. Everyone was too busy to pay any attention to him as he started to move, not really having the slightest clue where he was going.

After walking about five minutes he stopped when seeing a somewhat sad-looking medic emerge from one of the hallway's rooms. His eyebrow bounced up with his natural curiosity.

It couldn't hurt to try, right?

After taking a deep, evening breath he made his way to the room. His steps hesitant, he entered – and his courage almost failed him the second he did.

Yes, Taichi was lay in the room's single bed, very still and breathing irregularly, bandages covering several places. For just a moment he could've sworn he saw something black swirling underneath the older boy's skin.

He swallowed laboriously.

He'd seen his brother sick and mildly injured, but this… this went beyond his nightmares.

Finally managing to snap out of his shocked stupor, he took a weak step forward. "Tai?" There was no reaction whatsoever, not even a flinch. Refusing to be discouraged he took a chair, then placed it right beside the bed and sat. "Brother?" Once again all he got was nothing.

Several emotions blazed inside him when his brother's words echoed in his head, as clearly as if they were only just said.

/ _"These missions are my duty as a ninja. But I'll come back sooner than you know it, okay? I'll come back to you."_ /

He choked a little and twisted his hands in his lap, not really sure what to do with them. "You… You promised, remember?" His voice almost broke, but at the moment that didn't mean much to him. After looking at one of his brother's limp hands for a long time as though it'd been something dangerous, he finally grabbed it and squeezed. There was no reaction. "You've never lied to me before, brother. So…" He looked at the older boy's closed eyes, at the moment not really understanding why he could barely see. "So come back, okay?"

For a moment he was sure Taichi's hand twitched, but as he looked down he disovered that it was his own hand trembling. He gave a teary, bitter chuckle.

_Some ninja I am…_

Heavy silence filled the room as he sat there, holding his brother's hand. Nothing but the birds chirping outside the room's window answered him.

* * *

Sakura didn't know how long she'd been leaning against the staff-bathroom's door – wondering if she'd have to barge right back in – when she heard a very familiar male voice. "Sakura." Turning slowly, almost unwillingly, she met Shikamaru's unusually tense face. "Your student… just gave me the word. Is Kiko alright?"

Sakura didn't think any amount of deep, evening breaths would help her with this one.

And here she'd thought facing Naruto and Sasuke had been hard…

* * *

Seeing a furious Naruto wasn't exactly something new to Hiashi Hyuuga, and he braced himself for the worst when hearing that Taichi had been injured. But he nonetheless shivered as Naruto barged into his office, blue eyes flaming like lava. "I want a report. Right now", the man hissed.

He steeled himself for a moment before speaking. "Why don't you sit down, so we can talk like two adults?"

But oh, Naruto was far from calm enough to sit. "I don't know what the hell that mission of yours was about, but Tai may die because of it! How the hell could you send him to a mission like that without talking to me about it?! If he dies…!" Rage wiped the rest away.

At that point, he decided that no soft reasoning would go through. "Do you really think pointing fingers and yelling solves anything? The only person you can blame is Kabuto!" he all but roared. "Don't you think there's enough anger and hatred already?"

He could hear how rage boiled inside the blond, with each and every breath the younger one took. "My son is lying in the hospital!"

"And Shikamaru's daughter died!" He caught his breath, and his tone softened as he went on. "You're not the only one who lost something today."

-

Fire still made Naruto's blood bubble as he looked at the man before him, not having the slightest clue what to think.

Seeing that he'd calmed down, Hiashi went on. "I'm sorry that this horrible tragedy happened, but this wasn't something we anticipated. Taichi is your son, but he's also a very capable ninja – one of the best in his generation. Konoha needed him, and he left willingly." The man's eyes looked directly to his. "This is something all of us parents must learn to accept."

He grit his teeth and looked away, not bearing to look at the man any longer. "What kind of people are we, anyway?! Sending children to battles we should take care of by ourselves…!" His voice faded away, leaving behind only dull nothingness.

"Naruto." Hiashi's face carried a serious expression. "I… I understand that this is probably the worst time, but… I'm afraid that right now, Taichi's condition isn't the only thing you need to worry about." The gulp the man took was so loud that he heard it. "I've been trying to find you all day. The council wants to talk to you. It's about Danzo's return."

He fell to the couch behind him as his legs gave way.

* * *

Later that evening, it was raining again. On the edge of the village, Danzo's eye gleamed as he watched how Sasuke trained furiously, Sharingan eyes flaming like outraged rubies in the near-darkness.

Danzo had lost a lot, almost died. He'd been forced to sacrifice a great deal to get into this point, but maybe it'd all turn out to be worth it.

_Very soon, Uchiha_, he mused. _You and your family have given me a very hard time, but now it's coming to an end. When I'm done the mighty Uchihas and Minato's son will be nothing but a distant memory._

All of a sudden he sensed a presence. He didn't have to turn to recognize the arrival. "I thought we made a deal that it's too dangerous for you to show up around here, especially now that they know you're back in the game."

"I think I'm capable of taking care of myself", Kabuto stated in a flat tone. The younger man then arched an eyebrow when seeing what he was looking at. "I think we both know how bad of an idea that is."

He shook his head, his eye growing pitch black. "I've worked too long and hard to throw it all away now that the first steps have been taken, so stop worrying." He grinned icily. "Very soon Konoha will be under my control once more – and the Kyuubi will fall right into your hands." An eye for a life, power for power – that was their deal.

The wind answered him.

After a couple of long moments something came to his mind. "Oh, and Kabuto?" He turned his head, only to discover that the younger man was already gone.

He shrugged somewhat carelessly, then looked back towards Sasuke. And just then the Uchiha also looked his way, as though noticing him. Their gazes fumbled, not really touching, both malicious and threatening. Then, just as fast as the moment had began, the raven turned and started to walk away.

A tiny, wicked grin appeared to his face.

The wheel was already spinning. He wouldn't have to wait long, now…

* * *

TBC, right?

* * *

1) Because I'm not expecting you to remember… When expecting Taichi, Sasuke was first carrying twins – and lost one of them, a girl. When burying her, Naruto named her Aiko. (sniff)

* * *

A/N: Uh-huh, and it only gets worse… (winces) Ever wondered what the parents' life is like in the manga/anime? Here's a taster. (sniffs loudly) Poor things – like those two hadn't had enough to worry about already…!

And furthermore, Taichi was with Kabuto for several days – unless the journey home took THAT long. (It's six days later, after all.) (gulps) What the hell did that bastard have time to do?!

Awkay, I'm insanely lot behind my schedule already, so I'm tuning out. **PLEASE** do leave a note to let me know what you thought about this chapter! You know it means a lot to me, ne? (gives puppy's eyes – and offers LOTS of treats…)

IN THE NEXT ONE (for there is such, right?): The going only gets tougher, and in some of the darkest hours of his life Naruto makes a drastic decision. Quite surprisingly Sasuke's the one left to try and keep the ailing family together, but does he have the strength?

Until next time, I hope, with whichever story that may be!

Take care!


	4. Where the Path Grows Dark

A/N: Argh – it's been TOO long! (winces) I'm so sorry! I've just had such busy schedule that it makes my head spin. (groans) BUT, now the new chappy is finally here (whether that's a good thing or bad…)! (grins)

BUT, first off… You guys, thank you so much for those fantastic reviews! (HUGGLES) They seriously mean the world to my inspiration on writing this, ya know? So THANK YOU! As always with my stories, **responses to anonymous reviews** can be found from underneath the chappy.

Awkay, because you've already been waiting too long… Leeet's go! I really, REALLY hope ya'll enjoy this. (gulps nervously)

* * *

**PHASE 4 – Where the Path Grows Dark**

* * *

Naruto wasn't someone who'd get nervous easily. But even so, he shivered a little while standing before the Council. Very dark and unpleasant thoughts ran through his head.

He felt like a child getting lectured by their teacher.

"You do know why we called you here, no?" one member – a very old man – inquired in a voice that sounded like a screech.

He nodded stiffly. "Danzo's back."

"That's right." The only female member's eyes chilled him for some reason when they observed him, as though seeing right through him. "We're… in a unique situation; right now we have two willing, lawful Hokage's at the same time."

"We are confused", one man admitted.

He frowned, without noticing it clenching his fists. "Then… What are you going to do?"

"We need time, to determine which one of you is best suited for the position, to figure out what's the right decision", the man who'd spoken first announced. "For Konoha, of course."

Something close to rage flickered inside him. He felt like snorting and screaming. These old, narrow minded people had accepted him to his position with coughing and sputtering, following Tsunade's 'advice'. He could just feel how excited they were about the idea of getting rid of him.

When he opened his mouth, the woman lifted her hand sharply, her eyes silencing absolutely every sound in the room. "When we have made our decision, we will call in both of you. Until then, I suggest you go and take care of your family."

The way she said the last sentence sounded far too much like a mock, and his eyes narrowed. In the end, however, he was wise enough to understand that any words would only make his situation worse. That's why he simply spun around and walked away.

The day just couldn't get any worse.

The door boomed as it closed after him.

-

As he went he never noticed Danzo, who was observing his departure from the shadows. A smile of satisfaction flashed by the older man's face.

* * *

If there was one thing Sasuke had always been good at, it was being a ninja. That's why he sensed presence even through the hue of sleep, and his fist swung seconds before he was fully awake.

His counterpart was, however, just as fast. Something grabbed his wrist hard before Suigetsu's familiar voice spoke. "Hey, snap out of it!" The man snorted when he opened his eyes. "Geez, you _are_ grumpy when you wake up."

Not managing to pay much of attention to the words, he discovered that Juugo was also in the room, stood in the distance. The man was holding a fast asleep Kai in his arms.

He frowned while focusing on his former teammates, trying to wake up properly. "What… are you doing here?"

Suigetsu's expression turned wry. "Naruto told us you haven't eaten yet. We thought we should come and check up on you."

His eyes narrowed. "I don't need a babysitter."

Suigetsu shrugged. "Of course you don't. But I think a couple of chaperones wouldn't be be a bad idea."

-

During the upcoming hours, Sasuke and Juugo agreed that Kai would spend the night in the tall man's care. Juugo had babysitted Kai several times before, and there was no point in dragging the sleeping child all the way home. Sasuke also knew, much to his dismay, that there was quite a bit of talking he'd need to do with Naruto.

When coming home, however, he immediately discovered that 'talking' wasn't going to happen that night. For the reek of alcohol hit him across the face as soon as he entered.

He wrinkled his nose and muttered cusses under his breath, then followed the stench to find Naruto passed out on the living room's huge couch.

Not knowing what else to do in such a situation he simply stood there watching the blond, fighting to ignore the nausea that attacked him every time the baby moved inside him.

He wasn't sure if he was closer to smirking at the irony or screaming.

What the hell would become of their family if _he_ was the force trying to keep it from falling apart altogether?

He was shaken awake from his thoughts when Naruto's eyelids fluttered all of a sudden, then opened halfway to reveal a pair of bloodshot, utterly exhausted blue orbs. The blond smiled almost like child when seeing him. "Hey." The expression soon turned into that close to fear. The blond's hand grabbed his wrist tightly. "I… just had this dream…" The rest was such a slur that he couldn't catch it.

He groaned lightly, then focused on Naruto. "Sleep it off, okay? I'll stuff you with that Tsunade's potion in the morning."

Naruto, however, didn't let go of his hand or close his eyes. "Stay." The gaze locking with his was filled with anxiety. "Please?"

What else was he supposed to do in the situation at hand? Sighing heavily, he lay down and didn't have the strength to resist when Naruto wrapped a pair of arms around him. In the spur of the moment – forgetting all his pride and the blond's drunken state – he shifted so that they were face to face, and he also had a hold on the Uzumaki. Their breaths danced together while they held on to each other as tightly as they could. It didn't take long before they were both asleep.

For those the soon falling hours of the night, they managed to pretend that everything was alright.

* * *

_Nine Days Later_

* * *

While outside the building a part of Konoha prepared for funeral, inside the hospital two parents watched how the beginning of a new life danced on a tiny screen. Miniature arms and legs wiggled furiously, as though the little one had wanted to give the ones watching a show.

Despite everything, Sakura couldn't help smiling a little at the sight. It was good to see some hope – something whispering about the future – for change. "She's perfectly fine", she murmured in a slightly thick voice. "I'd like her to be a bit bigger, but… She's okay, and just as lively as always." She glanced towards the couple. "She's anxious to get to see you."

Her smile faltered a little when she noticed how Sasuke's hand twitched inside Naruto's – out of reflex, spasm or free will was impossible to tell – and the blond's hand immediately squeezed tightly, almost desperately.

Suddenly they all remembered much too well how little time there might be left.

Gathering herself with sheer willpower, she grabbed a tissue and wiped the gell that'd been on Sasuke's stomach. The raven was hasty to put his shirt back on properly and jump up from the examination table – the Uchiha still hated examinations beyond all human standards. A little less careful eye might have missed how Naruto's hand approached Sasuke's when the raven paused to settle his spinning head ('Are you okay?'), and how the Uchiha's hand cupped the Uzumaki's for a fleeting moment ('Of course I am, dobe. Stop worrying.').

She cleared her throat before managing to speak. "I… guess you know that the last months won't be pleasant." They all tensed up, remembering much too well how rough the last trimester had been with Kai. She glanced rather sternly towards Sasuke. "I'm expecting you to take better care of yourself than you have so far. Eat, and sleep – as much as you can." Her expression softened a little. "And if you can, try to relax a little. Right now you're making both of you nervous."

Sasuke responded with rolling his eyes. Seeing this, Naruto shot a warning look towards the raven. "Stop that, Uchiha." The blond then looked towards her, and hesitated for a moment. "Are you… gonna go and see Sai?"

Feeling cold inside, she nodded slowly and looked away. "Right after paperwork, and the… funeral." She bit her lower lip, fighting the stinging in her eyes. "They… They'd want to let him go, but… I'm not letting them do it, not yet."

Naruto remained still and silent for the longest time, until a hand appeared to her shoulder. It amazed her how much hope still lingered in those blue eyes when they looked at her. "Hey, cheer up. There's still hope left, right?" He managed to grin just a little. "Say 'hi' for me, will you?"

She couldn't help smiling faintly.

-

Naruto sighed heavily when leaving Sakura's office with Sasuke about five minutes later. There was way too much on his mind, and his head was starting to hurt.

Sasuke's voice, not to even mention the words, surprised him. "'You okay?"

He looked towards Sasuke, and suddenly smiling didn't seem like such an impossible task.

The Uchiha was still there, right beside him – alive and well. Their son was also alive. Wasn't that enough, at least for a moment?

He grinned feebly. "Yeah", he murmured. "I'm fine."

Just then – like so many times before – Sasuke managed to catch him off guard by his swift motions. Before he could blink the raven's lips were crushed against his, sealing them into a kiss that made their breaths mingle and all air escape. When they finally parted after a long battle for dominance, they were both panting as though after a long, hard battle.

In the end Naruto licked his lips, his eyes clashing with the raven's. In some other situation he might've been embarrassed by how hard and flushed he was. "Hmh", was all he managed.

"Hn", was Sasuke's response. And somehow it felt like they'd spoken a million words during those tiny moments.

He would've never wanted to let go of Sasuke – just standing there, all worries miles away, felt too damn good. But of course the decision wasn't in his hands.

For just then they heard steps. Sasuke went completely stiff and took a step away from him when Neji appeared to view. The two mans' eyes clashed together, saying everything necessary in a matter of moments, until the Hyuuga looked towards him. "The funeral's… about to start."

He nodded stiffly, feeling unbelievably uncomfortable. The memory of that stupid kiss with Neji felt too damn near. "'K." He glanced towards Sasuke, and would've wanted to wince at the look in the man's eyes. He'd really hoped they trusted each other more than this. "I'll… be back in a couple of hours, okay?"

Sasuke merely nodded.

-

Something he distinctly interpreted as guilt filled Neji as he watched all the subtle, silent tension drifting between Naruto and Sasuke, saw much too clearly all the mistrust in the raven's dark eyes. It was damage he'd partially caused, a gap he'd torn wide open. And there was nothing he could do to fix it.

But just then Naruto – bold as always – dared to lean towards Sasuke's ear. He couldn't read the words the blond's lips formed, while blue eyes shone with utter sincerity and affection, but he did see the affects.

Very slowly the tension in Sasuke's muscles faded away, and the man's eyes weren't quite as threatening as they'd been before. And then the raven nodded, looking at Naruto straight into eyes and obviously saying soundlessly something he couldn't catch.

Naruto gave the raven's forehead a tiny kiss, to which the Uchiha responded with glaring and wrinkling his nose, then turned around. The blond was obviously close to smiling, although some sadness still remained. "Let's get going, 'k?"

* * *

Sasuke didn't know he'd been looking for someone until he found Kai from the training grounds. The thick lines on the boy's cheeks told that he'd already done a lot of crying, and it looked like the child was still struggling furiously against tears. Weapons of different kind were scattered all around the area.

Sasuke frowned when something clenched his chest painfully, unable to express his feeling otherwise, and started to move towards the boy. "What's wrong?"

Kai looked at him – and suddenly the eyes that were too much like those he'd once had weren't dry anymore. The child's lower lip quivered. "It… It won't work, _papa_. It just won't work, not without him." Two tears rolling, the boy sniffled loudly. "Tai… He always knows how to teach. This feels stupid alone."

It took a lot of him to hide what flashed inside him.

Eventually Kai managed to wipe his face dry. A one more sob escaped. "I miss Tai", the boy murmured. It was the first time he admitted it out loud.

Sasuke fought the tiny bit of him that would've wanted to wince. He grit his teeth. "I know." His voice carried atypical softness only his sons and Naruto were allowed to hear. He observed the boy for a moment, not sure of what he was looking for, and looked away again. "Life… is unfair, sometimes."

Kai made an almost upset sound. "Yeah, it is."

His lips opened, but in the end he decided that no words were needed. And so they sat there, both pretending that they didn't notice how Kai leaned rather childishly against his shoulder. The night was cool around them.

It was silent for the longest time until Kai whispered all of a sudden. "But… Things are going to work out in the end, right?" There was a sharp edge of hope in the tone. "They'll have to."

Something hard and heavy appeared into his throat, no matter how much he tried to deny it. Fortunately he was never forced to try and figure out what to respond, because just then they both noticed a student of Sakura's rushing towards them with clearly apparent anxiety.

Sasuke frowned as she stopped. "What's wrong?"

Through pants and wheezes, she managed to speak. "T… Taichi, he's… he's waking up…"

The father and son were already moving.

* * *

The cemetery was utterly silent although several people stood there, staring with almost numbing shock at the fresh grave.

It wasn't even close to long enough from when they'd last buried someone. But it was years from the last time they'd lost a teenager – a mere child. And the loss of Kiko Nara was almost too much for the village to handle.

It was few who bared to look as Shikamaru and Temari started to approach the stone that had their daughter's name engraved to it. The couple remained two steps away from each other even when they placed their flowers to the cold stone. Temari swayed a little when getting up, but when Shikamaru tried to help she swatted his hand away. Without saying another word they turned around slowly, their eyes dry yet filled with about a million emotions.

For a moment Naruto's eyes met Shikamaru's, but they looked away again quickly. The pain was still a little bit too fresh and tender.

His son was still fighting for his life, but alive nonetheless. His family was still whole. Shikamaru had lost his only child. And that's why the look of reassurance Naruto tried to offer didn't manage to bring any comfort.

Gathering himself and forcing his legs into working, Naruto started to all but wobble towards the tombstone, followed by several friends. But although the flood of people and flowers went on, everyone present knew one thing with painful certainty.

After a tragedy like this, no empty gestures were enough.

-

The funeral seemed to take forever. When the ceremony was finally over, Naruto was surprised to discover that he was the last one who stayed. Or well, almost the last one.

He swallowed thickly when discovering that Shikamaru was still stood by Kiko's tombstone, pained and outraged eyes filled with questions no earthly power would be able to respond. The man's fists were clenched tightly, as though the target of his anger had been right there in front of or perhaps inside him.

Naruto hesitated for the longest moment before daring to approach and eventually stop next to the brunet. He opened his mouth to say 'I'm sorry', but in the end he came to a conclusion that Shikamaru had already heard more than enough pitying words for one day.

They stood in utter silence for so long that he shivered with surprise when Shikamaru spoke in a voice he couldn't recognize. "You know who did this, right?"

He swallowed laboriously, his stomach clenching to a tight ball. "Shikamaru…" He'd already almost lost Sasuke to the path of revenge – he wasn't about to let the same thing happen to his friend.

Shikamaru, however, didn't seem to understand. The man's eyes flashed with dark, primal wrath that chilled him when the brunet looked at him. "They tried to steal your son – they may still succeed. They took away my daughter." The man looked away sharply. "You can be like the Council and stand back, watching. But I'm going to make damn sure those assholes will pay for what they did to my child."

He grit his teeth for a moment. "That path's gonna destroy you."

Shikamaru snorted. "You think I care?" To think that the man hissing at him now was the same who'd once considered every mission troublesome. The brunet turned around, starting to walk away. "One way or another, I'm going to finish this."

Wind had never felt as cold as it did while he stood there, helplessly watching his friend's distancing back.

* * *

After about a couple of hours Temari opened the door of her and Shikamaru's apartment to find two very familiar figures. Only her pride kept her from hugging them. "I thought you weren't going to come at all."

Kankuro grinned somewhat sheepishly. "'Sorry." The man's expression then turned uncharacteristically solemn. "We… were supposed to make it to the funeral."

She shuddered, and folded her arms to her chest.

When Gaara stepped forth she blinked once, as though not having expected him to be there. He examined her with his gaze for a moment. "When's the last time you ate?"

She shrugged, feeling almost hurt by the question for some reason. Was she supposed to think about food, when…? "'Don't know. Some time yesterday, I guess." Her eyes then narrowed. "Stop trying to take the role of the oldest sibling, will you?"

Gaara's expression was oddly soft. "Hmh."

Deep down, she was relieved that neither of her brothers asked where Shikamaru was. She most definitely didn't feel like answering to any questions at the moment.

All of a sudden she swayed, and needed Gaara's support. She blinked once, as though not realizing what was happening, then groaned. So now her pride had to be damaged as well?

There was something she'd never seen in them before in Gaara's eyes as the man looked at her. "You can barely stand. Go to bed – Kankuro will bring you some potion to help you sleep."

She shuddered. Going to bed, and having dreams of Kiko? "No thanks."

There was no going against Gaara's stern gaze. "Just go."

As she went – growling all the way and her eyes stinging for some reason – she never noticed how Gaara stood directy beside her; blocking the view when they passed by the closed door of Kiko's room, and eventually supporting her when her legs barely carried her. Neither spoke a word.

-

About an hour later, Kankuro felt exhausted for some reason when entering the house's living room.

Gaara's eyes flickered his way for a moment before the redhead went back to what he'd been doing; sitting on an armchair and looking out the window. "How is she?"

He winced. "A mess. She was out cold when I showed up with the drink." He groaned while flopping to a couch. He tried to ignore the uncomfortable squirming – almost ache – in his stomach. His eyes didn't feel right. "This bites."

Gaara's eyes were unreadable when the redhead got up and started to march towards the apartment's door. "Look after her for a while, will you?"

He frowned, knowing his brother enough to feel chills of dread. "What are you up to?"

"There's something I have to take care of", was all Gaara said before the door was all but slammed shut.

He groaned when leaning backwards heavily and bringing a hand to his face. "Why the hell did I get out of the bed today?"

* * *

At first all Taichi could comprehend was fog – it filled his vision, mind and body. Then came a surge of pain that forced him to emit a tiny yell. It felt like his whole body had been torn to shreds, and the pain was so unbelievable that he almost slipped back into darkness.

That was until he heard a familiar voice. "Taichi?" Did someone… grab his hand? "I know how much it hurts, but you have to fight it. Open your eyes and look at me."

Very slowly and with far more effort than he would've been willing to use, he forced his eyes open. At first the figure above him was blurry – most likely for more reasons than one – but then he started to distinguish a familiar face. "_Papa_…" And then something was taking control over him, so greedily and viciously that he emitted a choked sound. What the hell was going on?!

It felt like his whole body and soul had been swallowed up in whole.

There were only few occasions in his life when he'd felt fear like the one filling him then.

It was then his _papa_ obviously decided not to wait any longer. The man's embrace was so sudden and uncharacteristic that he gasped, instinctively leaning to the touch. The arms held him even tighter. "You need to focus, Taichi. If you let it take over, it'll consume all of you. Remember all the things you have to fight for."

At first his mind almost drifted, but then – using all his willpower – he managed to push it to the right direction.

His mind filled with flashes of his friends, of his family, of love and affection. And lastly, his whole world settled into the mental image of Kiko's face – of her long brown hair, of her green eyes, of her cunning little smile, of the tiny beauty mark above her upper lip. All of a sudden he was able to _feel_ her, and the pain that'd almost filled him faded away.

Although consciousness was fleeing, he could've sworn he smiled.

-

Sasuke's unbelievably tense muscles relaxed ever so slightly when he actually felt some of the pain that'd been ravishing his son fade away. The teen was shivering, but no longer from the agony.

And then – just before the boy fell limp – he heard the faintest of whispers. "Kiko…"

His eyes darkening significantly, he lay the once again peaceful, unconscious teen to the bed.

He'd sat absolutely still for a couple of moments before Kai's voice claimed his attention. "_P_-_Papa_?" The child's eyes were filled with fear. "Is he okay?"

He had to compose himself before he managed to respond. "He… needs a lot of rest right now", he all but mumured. An intense wave of nausea washing over him, he forced himself up. "I'll come back soon."

Kai looked at him with hope-filled eyes. "Can I stay a little bit, too, to make sure he's okay?"

He didn't have the heart to deny the boy anything at the moment, so he nodded somewhat feebly. His mouth opened, but instead of speaking he ended up walking out of the room.

He barely made it to the nearest bathroom before throwing up.

* * *

When Naruto sneaked into the hospital room much later that evening – after darkness had already fallen – his heart clenched painfully at what he found.

Sasuke had fallen asleep into a small chair, and was now sleeping in a very uncomfortable position. Kai had obviously done his best to cover his _papa_ with a blanket, but the Uchiha was nonetheless shivering just a little bit, his face a shade paler than usual.

Kai's eyes shone with desperate hope when they found his. "Tai woke up today, dad", the child whispered, clearly not wanting to disturb either his _papa_, brother or perhaps either one of them. "That's a good sign, right?"

He tried to smile, although exhaustion and the depressing day passed made his eyes sting unbearably. "Yeah", he barely managed. "It's… a good sign."

Kai grinned, although the hope didn't seem entirely genuine.

After taking a deep breath, he focused on Sasuke. Slowly and carefully – not wanting to bother the Uchiha when the man was for once resting peacefully – he picked the raven up. He wanted to wince when gathering the man into his arms; Sasuke was even lighter than when expecting Kai.

Unable to move for some reason and fighting against something he couldn't understand, he stood there for several seconds with the Uchiha's warm body in his arms. He didn't dare to look towards his younger son until the stinging was gone from his eyes. "Let's…" He cleared his throat. "Let's go home."

Kai nodded a little, his face a lot more solemn than he would've wanted to see. With that they left, neither of them bearing to look back on the teen they were leaving behind.

* * *

When Neji opened the door of his apartment after a firm knock, his heart first froze, then started to jump madly when he recognized the arrival. It took all his skills not to let all the emotions show. "Gaara…?" When…? Why…?

The redhead's expression was solemn. There was a grit of teeth he heard. "We need to talk."

* * *

Naruto felt something bubbling dangerously inside him as he looked at Sasuke, who lay in their bed half-unconscious.

Being the worrywart he always was, he'd called Sakura to come and check up on Sasuke when he'd noticed just how warm – clearly feverish – the raven was. Unfortunately Sakura had confirmed the exact thing he'd been afraid of.

The stress was far too much for Sasuke in the Uchiha's current condition. She would've wanted to perform further examinations – if she hadn't known exactly what Sasuke would say about those – to rule out some dark possibilities, but even without them it was clear that even in the best case full bed-rest was necessary. Sakura had given him instructions to tie the Uchiha to a bed if necessary.

His eyes narrowed, against himself and several other people.

He knew he hadn't made things easier on Sasuke, but Danzo and Kabuto… What those two had done and put their family, as well as others, through was unforgivable. How was he supposed to sit back and watch how everything tumbled down like a deck of cards because of those two?!

His dark thoughts were cut for a brief moment when Sasuke's eyes opened slightly, and the raven peered up at him with a frown. "Stop looking at me like that", the Uchiha growled sleepily.

He frowned, then understood and grinned sheepishly. He should've known Sasuke wouldn't get over his pride even in this condition. "'Sorry."

Sasuke responded with a stiffled yawn. "Hmph."  
At that moment, as he watched Sasuke and remembered much too well what'd happened to Taichi, he made up his mind.

After licking his lips to clear his head, he leaned down and pressed a tiny kiss to Sasuke's ear before whispering. "I'm sorry. But… I hope you'll understand." Besides, the Uchiha wouldn't have to know before it was all safely over.

He was almost relieved to discover that Sasuke was already asleep, far from able to hear what he'd just said. It made things a lot easier.

For once, he managed to move soundlessly when leaving the house.

-

When Sasuke woke up again about an hour later – feeling queasy, exhausted and annoyingly disordered – he first noticed that he was alone.

He frowned, rubbing his face with one hand.

Now that he thought about it, it was good to wake up alone. It would've been humiliating if someone had seen him like this.

Giving a tiny hiss of pain, he hauled his much too heavy body into a sitting position, then defied all the screams of his reason and stood up. His head spun and his knees were weak for a moment, but in the end he was standing more or less steadily.

'The squirt' obviously didn't appreciate his efforts. The kicking and squirming that started was almost enough to send him back down and make him throw up.

He hissed loudly, without noticing it bringing a hand to his stomach. "Hold still, will you?" he growled although talking to something he couldn't even see felt stupid. "You're making this too damn difficult."

The baby – being as restless as her parents – barely obeyed.

Just then there was a firm, almost commanding knock on the apartment's door. He walked up to open with a frown – and felt a storm awaken inside him when recognizing the arrival.

Stood behind the door was none of than Danzo, with an expression that gave him chills.

The silence between them was thick and filled with threat.

* * *

Shikamaru quirked an eyebrow when seeing Naruto approaching him. "Who would've thought that you'd set a foot into a place like this?"

Naruto wrinkled his nose when looking around in the reeking bar. "I was hoping I wouldn't have found you from a place like this." The blond then took a deep breath before focusing on him, blue eyes stern. "I'm giving you the names, on one condition."

He nodded. "I'm listening."

Naruto's eyes flashed. "Whatever you're planning to do to those assholes… I'm with you."

* * *

TBC, riiiight?

* * *

A/N: (winces and groans) Naruto, that baka…! (slams hand against forehead) He sure chose the worst possible time to try and repeat Sasuke's mistake… (groans again) Speaking of the Uchiha… What the heck's going on?!

And that cliffie…! (runs for cover)

-

Now, before anything else… There's a **POLL **for you guys, because I really want to hear your opinion. What do you think Gaara's secret is!

He's pregnant. (o_o Oh dear… Another!)

He's badly sick. (Since when has there not been such in my fics…?) (rolls eyes)

He's forced to marry someone else. (Uh-huh… 'Wonder who that could be.)

Hiashi's been blackmailing him. (Hands up who WASN'T expecting this.) (glances) (What, no one?)

He's having insecurities. (Zzz… But then again, sometimes simplicity is the best option.)

He's falling for someone else. (winces) (That could get nasty.)

Something else entirely – surprise me!

-

**PLEASE**, do vote and review – it'd seriously mean the world to me! I could share some cookies with ya if you do… (wink, wink)

IN THE NEXT ONE: Naruto and Kai are both thrown into a frenzy when Sasuke goes missing – and all hell breaks loose when the truth starts to unfold. Emotions run wild when lives are changed forever. Konoha's pushed to a whole new path when the story reaches halfway.

Until next time, ne? I REALLY hope ya'll all join in then.

Take care!

* * *

**carmen**: Those two are REALLY having it rough, no? (sniffs) I REALLY hope everything ends well for them, too – they've gone through so much already…!  
Colossal thank yous for the review!

I REALLY hope you'll find the next chapter worth the wait.


	5. Where Black Turns into Red

A/N: My dear goodness, it's been too long, hasn't it? (winces) I'm so sorry – there's been a load I've been juggling with and my inspiration's been slipping! (groans) BUT, I'm FINALLY back at least, and with a new chapter. (grins)

BUT, first off… Thank you so much for all those fantastic reviews! (huggles, and beams) It's thanks to them this chapter ever saw daylight, ya know, so thank you! (hugs again) As always with my stories, **responses to anonymous reviews** can be found from underneath the chappy.

AS FOR THE POLL-THING: I got some pretty mixed signals from your votes, so I made… some adjustments and came up with a solution I REALLY hope ya'll all be happy with. (grins nervously) We'll see what's up with Gaara soon.

Awkay, because you've already been waiting for ages, let's rock! I REALLY hope this turns out worth the horrendously long wait! (gulps)

* * *

**PHASE 5 – Where Black Turns into Red**

* * *

As soon as Naruto came home that night, he felt that something was wrong – the house was too dark and quiet. And the feeling most definitely didn't ease any when he noticed the few droplets of blood on the floor, shining with a chilling back shade in the moonlight.

His eyes widened, and his heart skipped a couple of beats.

_What the…?!_

That chaotic thought was cut when he heard silent, almost cautious steps. Although Kai wasn't crying, the look on the child's face was enough to break his heart. "I… woke up, to a nightmare, and _papa_… _papa_ wasn't here." The boy's voice shook, although he tried to hide it. "Where is he? Where were you?"

It took his all to get himsef gathered, and he only managed with the knowledge that he couldn't get Kai any more upset than the boy already was. He forced on a reassuring look. "I'll… find him – I promise. Everything's gonna work out." He knew he shouldn't have promised such a thing, but he needed to say it to try and believe it.

Quite miraculously, Kai seemed slightly reassured – perhaps the boy needed the illusion of hope just as much as he did. And much to his stun there was a tiny, extremely feeble smile. "I'm glad you're not so angry anymore." The boy seemed to be close to saying something more, but then changed his mind.

Those words struck Naruto sharply. He'd really been neglecting his younger son lately, hadn't he? It took his all to create a pathetic attempt of a grin. "Okay, now off to bed with you. And don't worry, everything will start to clear out in the morning."

Kai nodded slightly with an expression he couldn't quite read, then turned and started to head towards his room. The house became suffocatingly quiet.

Swallowing laboriously, Naruto allowed his gaze to travel towards the droplets of blood once more. Coldness filled him as he folded his arms and hugged himself tightly, desperately trying to force his racing heart into calming down. His eyes started to sting.

There was no way he'd be able to make himself wait until the morning, he decided.

* * *

Sasuke's head hurt when he woke up slowly, and he groaned when the much too familiar stench of Konoha's prison filled his whole consciousness.

_Shit…_

Things did not look all that promising at the moment.

"So you're finally awake. That's good." He recognized Danzo's voice very well. His eyes opened with a lot of difficulty, revealing him the man's much too satisfied face. "Now, we can finally start to talk."

His eyes narrowed. "What the hell makes you think I'd have anything to say to you?"

Slowly yet inevitably, Danzo's visible eye moved to his bump he'd been fighting to hide. "Something tells me you've got a lot more to lose than you're letting on." The soulless gaze moved to his eyes once more. "Now why don't we stop fooling around already? I, for one, don't want to spend a second longer in the same room with you than necessary."

His eyes shifted to the two guards who stood on the sidelines, their arms folded and face expressionless. "What did you tell those idiots to make them agree to do this?"

"The truth." Danzo's eye flashed. "You did try to kill the Hokage, remember? That's a serious offence. It was hard work to try and recover from the dosage of poison you gave me."

"You died." His voice was a dull monotone, such that might've amused him in some other situation.

Out of the blue – so fast that even the most skilled of eyes couldn't have seen it coming – Danzo's fist moved, connecting with his face. "Do I feel like a dead man to you?" the man all but hissed, then turned around and started to walk away. "Take him back to his cell. We're obviously not going to get anything more out of him."

He gave the guards glares that convinced them not to touch him, then started to walk with them following close by.

He'd have to get out of this hellhole, he decided as he was taken to the cell-section, and the chilling noises of the other prisoners assualted his ears, along with the sickening stench.

The baby kicked furiously inside him, obviously in a great deal of distress.

Because Danzo was right. He had too much to lose.

* * *

Neji felt somewhat frustrated as he and Gaara sat in the living room of his house.

It'd been quite some time from when the redhead had appeared. When was the actual 'talking' going to start?

When Gaara finally started to speak, the voice was far from the usual. "I… had a demon inside me – that should be no news to you." The man didn't really meet his gaze. "It… caused some changes I didn't know about until recently."

He frowned, feeling a tremor of dread all of a sudden. "What are you talking about?"

Finally Gaara looked at him, with eyes he'd never seen before. "I was pregnant, Neji. But…" The redhead looked away once more, obviously to conceal his expression. "The baby… It didn't develop right. I lost it two days after it started kicking." He could just see the flash of pain in the man's eyes. "I… just thought you deserve to know."

It took several moments before Neji's brain became functional enough to actually think. And when that happened, he fell heavily to the nearest chair as though someone had swept him off his feet.

Gaara… had been pregnant – they'd almost…

It was just too much to believe.

While he remained in a stupor-like state, Gaara was far too active all of a sudden. "The village… expects me to marry, soon. And I know your family wants you to have a wife to keep the Hyuuga-family line alive. So I think it's time we stop lying to ourselves and move on to something real before it's too late to repair the damage." With those words the man started to move and walked out of the house.

It wasn't until the door was closed he managed to do as much as lift his gaze. Quite rapidly ache spread all over his body.

* * *

_Five Days Later_

* * *

Time passed torturously slowly and much too fast at the same time for Naruto.

During the past days there hadn't been a single sign of Sasuke's whereabouts, although he'd been searching with all the determination of his despair. It felt like the Uchiha had vanished from the face of the planet.

Naruto didn't think he'd felt as desperate even after Sasuke had left for Orochimaru.

By the time a yet another morning dawned, Naruto was utterly exhausted from the sleepless nights he'd had lately. That's why he didn't notice that someone entered his office until Kai spoke. "Is there anything new?"

Startled a little, he lifted his and felt a twinge inside when seeing how obviously tired his younger son was; it looked like he wasn't the only one who'd been suffering from insomnia lately. "No, but… we're still trying."

It was painful to see how Kai's shoulders slumped and hope died from the boy's dark eyes, although the child tried to keep up a brave front. "Oh."

He really wished he'd had the words to make the situation better, but nothing came to his mind. He frowned all of a sudden when remembering something. "Did your lessons end already?"

The boy looked down, appearing embarrassed. "Iruka-sensei… sent me home, after I punched a kid."

He blinked twice, processing the words. "You… what?"

Kai's face twisted into an expression that was between fury and heartbreak. "He… He called you a demon, dad. And he called _papa_ a traitor." The boy looked at him with a frown, obviously trying to understand. "Why would someone call you that?"

He swallowed thickly.

There were certain parts of he and Sasuke's past they hadn't wanted to share with their sons just yet. He'd been dreading this day.

He sighed, feeling far older than he really was all of a sudden. "Kai…"

He never got further than that, because just then there was a knock, after which Kiba peered in. "Did I interrupt something?"

Naruto shook his head somewhat tensely, alarmed by the look in his friend's eyes. "Nah, you didn't." Forcing nervousness away from his eyes, he looked towards Kai. "Go home and stay there, understood? We're gonna have a long conversation when I get home."

Kai nodded, obviously somewhat alarmed, then took off.

As soon as the boy had left, he focused on Kiba, feeling his stomach knot. "What's up?"

Kiba took a deep breath, clearly wondering how to set his words. "I… heard some rumors, and when I did some digging they were confirmed." The brunet searched his face. "Danzo's arrested Sasuke."

Even Kyuubi couldn't have provoked the kind of rage that lit up inside Naruto just then.

-

When Naruto marched into the prison, most of the people working there were wise enough to stay out of his way. They'd never seen him as angry.

One young guard, however, dared to step up and block his path, greenish eyes holding some insecurity the man was obviously trying to hide. "I… I'm sorry, but I can't let you further from here. Those are Danzo-sama's orders."

Those words were the last thing Naruto's already boiling anger needed.

His eyes narrowed. "Listen to me carefully", he all but hissed in a voice that wasn't his. "Right now, I'm using the last bits of my self-control into not beating you down to that hole on the floor. Do you really want to tempt me?"

The man swallowed with apparent difficulty, turning unhealthily pale. "He's… in interrogation room three."

Paying no further attention to the man, he kept storming forth and found the correct room surprisingly easily. It took only a glare to convince the obviously much too young man who'd been keeping an eye on the door into letting him in.

When he entered the room, he froze nearby the doorway at what he found and felt his whole chest ache. Sitting on a small, obviously uncomfortable chair under Chakra and other restraints was none other than Sasuke, hunched so that the man was almost doubled over. The Uchiha seemed to be shivering slightly, and everything about the man's posture stated that he was in a great deal of pain.

The raven spat out a tiny droplet of blood, then spoke in a snarl. "Now what?"

It took his all to keep his voice even. "It's… It's me."

Very slowly the Uchiha lifted his gaze, and his heart broke even further at what he found. Bruises, so many of them that it was terrifying, marred the raven's face, and he had hard time believing the rest of the man would've been any better.

He emitted a choked sound, no longer able to control himself. His eyes stung. "Sasuke…"

Sasuke looked at him for a long moment, obviously studying, then spoke. "Stop looking like that. I'm fine."  
He grit his teeth hard before speaking. "It hurts seeing you locked up again." His eyes shifted towards the Uchiha's stomach, to the bulge that could just be seen. "Especially now."

Sasuke emitted a 'Hn'. "I've been through much worse. So stop being a dobe – with the old asshole back in the village, I think you've got enough stuff to worry about even without adding me to the list."

He winced. "So you heard about Danzo?"

Sasuke snorted. "Apparently he considered it his duty to come and get me personally."

He felt his eyes flash red when the dark power inside him saw its chance and stirred. His fists balled so tightly that it hurt. "I'm gonna put an end to that crap of his. He's gone too damn far."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed, and he could just feel how much the man would've wanted to punch him. "You're not going to put an end to anything!" the Uchiha hissed in a voice that would've chilled most. "Taichi… He's in the hospital, and I'm here. Kai needs you. So don't you dare do something idiotic!"

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Without a warning a shuddering sniff erupted through his throat. When he opened his eyes again, they were blurry. "I miss you", he murmured, feeling like a five-year-old.

Sasuke's eyes didn't seem quite right. "Hn."

He outstretched his hand, but before he ever got the chance to actually touch a guard's gruff voice cut him short. "No touching. And by the way, your time's up."  
He shot a glare towards the man, feeling his blood boil.

He was just the village's one and only Hokage. And now… Now, he wasn't even allowed to touch the _papa_ of his children!

Taking a deep breath to keep himself from doing somethig he'd regret, he turned to look at Sasuke. The lump that appeared to his throat was so big that he could barely speak. "I'll… see you soon, okay?"

Sasuke merely nodded.

Leaving the prison – abandoning Sasuke into that horrendous place – was the hardest thing he'd ever done. And when he made it outside, he threw up loudly.

As he focused on breathing and not throwing up again, the person approaching him managed to sneak up on him.

He practically jumped when the voice of Tira Aburame – Shino's daughter and Sakura's most gifted student – met his ears all of a sudden. "Uncle Naruto!" He couldn't see her face through sunglasses, but her breathing-pattern and atypically stiff posture spoke loudly enough. "Sakura-sama wants to see you, now. It's about Taichi."

He didn't waste a single moment on hesitation.

* * *

At around the same time, there was hesitation on Gaara's face as he met Neji at the edge of Konoha's cemetary. "What did you call me here for?"

Neji's eyes darkened. "You… said my family wants me to marry some woman and get a family. But the truth is, you've never even met my family, so you wouldn't know."  
The redhead quirked an eyebrow, starting to realize.

Without saying a word, Neji outstretched a hand. It took five seconds of hesitation before Gaara accepted it and squeezed just a little bit.

Their walk was silent as they navigated their way through the paths and tombstones, until they finally stopped before a certain stone.

'_Lianna Hyuuga_

_Hizashi Hyuuga_'

"This… is my family", Neji explained in a soft, quiet tone, not moving his eyes from the stone. "They both told me to listen to my heart, and wanted me to be happy. They… wanted me to find love." The man grit his teeth. "So don't you dare tell me they'd want me to do the opposite."

As a response, Gaara squeezed the brunet's hand just a little bit harder.

Had they not been so deep in thought, they might've sensed the warning wind whispered.

* * *

Naruto had never ran as fast as he dashed into the hospital that day, his heart thumping with panic that didn't fit into any human standards.

He was somewhat unnerved when finding Sakura waiting for him, and the look on her face didn't offer him any ease of mind.

He swallowed thickly, and barely managed to speak. "What's… wrong?"

Sakura took a deep breath, appearing very old and tired all of a sudden. "Taichi… woke up an hour ago." Something about her tone didn't give him any reassurance. "It looks like the seal took over him completely."

For several moments he couldn't – didn't want to – believe. But then the reality sunk in, slowly yet surely. And he found himself struggling to breathe.

He didn't know in just how bad condition he was until he felt Sakura making circling motions on his back. "Take deep breaths, Naruto. Don't look down – just focus on breathing. Keep your eyes open."

"Take me to him." His voice was gruff, and he spoke much too soon. He could only imagine what the look in his eyes must've been like when they met Sakura's hesitant, worried ones. "He's my son. I… I want to see him, _now_."

Sakura sighed heavily, rubbing her face wirth one hand. "He's in a very bad condition."

"I don't care." If he sounded like a five-years-old didn't bother him the slightest. "He's my son, Sakura-chan!" He kind of hoped that the desperate tone and ancient petname would make the difference. "Please?"

With a heavy sigh, the pinkette motioned him to follow.

They traveled through what felt like dozens of hallways until they were stood behind a certain door two guards were keeping an eye on.

He frowned, feeling cold chills all of a sudden. "What are those guys for?"

Sakura swallowed thickly and refused to look at him. "He's… been unstable since he woke up. We had to make sure he won't hurt himself or anyone else."

He nodded numbly, feeling far too much at one go.

Taking a deep breath – as though preparing himself for a dive – he stepped up to the glass separating him from his son. And a huge piece of his heart broke down to pieces.

Inside, Taichi looked like anyone else but himself. Black, dangerous patterns traveled on the teen's skin, pulsating and twirling, almost dancing. Taichi trembled – under something he couldn't even imagine – and his fists were balled so tightly that some blood was drawn. What got to him the most, however, were the teen's eyes. They were soulless and hazardous, and carried a shade of red that was far from the one of the Sharingan. This red reminded him much too clearly of the eyes Sasuke had once had.

It… felt like he hadn't been looking at his son at all. Memories of the _Valley of the End_ flooded into his mind.

At that moment Naruto did the one thing he'd been itching to do all day.

He broke down into tears.

* * *

When Sakura approached Sai's room, she was immediately alarmed by the look on Ino's face as the blonde emerged from the room, clearly fighting to hold back tears.

She froze the second their eyes met, and in a couple of painfully slow seconds everything became much too clear.

She fell down to the floor, never realizing that the howl echoing in the hallway came from her.

* * *

Kai had already almost reached his home when a voice he hadn't heard before called out to him. "There you are – I've been looking for you."

He turned, and frowned with mistrust when seeing a man with eyeglasses and long, silvery hair on a ponytail. "Who are you?"

The man grinned. "Let's say… that I'm an old friend of your parents. But now…" The man's dark eyes changed. "I came because I heard what happened at the Academy today. And I think you're already old enough to hear some things."

He frowned again. "What things?"

"Would you like to hear what your parents have been hiding from you?"

* * *

In his tiny, dark cell Sasuke had been feeling sharp stabs of pain all day, and although he would've never admitted such out loud he was starting to feel worried.

He'd been through two pregnancies already, and this one was over five months along. He sure as hell knew what was normal and what wasn't.

For a little while he toyed with the thought of calling for the guards, but then decided against it. He couldn't trust them, and the last thing he wanted was them finding out about his current condition. Besides, they would've never agreed to help him, anyway. And so he'd settled with walking around the cell like an entrapped animal.

He stopped and winced as another surge of pain came, and leaned himself heavily against the wall. Quite instinctively, his hand found its way to his stomach. "You're giving me a really hard time right now", he growled.

Just then everything inside him turned utterly cold when he felt something warm and sticky sliding down his leg, erupting from somewhere between his legs. Swallowing thickly, he touched the substance and lifted his hand to give it a look.

All other things – the voices of the guards and prisoners, the smells – faded as a single realization took over his whole mind.

His breathing wheezed a little while the pain escalated to an extend he could barely stand without screaming.

That substance on his fingers… It was blood. And the baby… He couldn't feel it anymore.

He couldn't feel the baby inside him.

* * *

Walking home a couple of hours later, Naruto suddenly stopped when hearing familiar voices shouting. Looking to side, he didn't quite manage to keep himself from wincing when seeing Shikamaru and Temari fighting quite loudly by the doorsteps of their house. He couldn't make out the words, but the expressions spoke well enough.

Just then Shikamaru said something, and Temari's eyes flashed dangerously with several emotions. Before the brunet could've ever seen it coming her fist swung, giving her husband a punch that made his head jerk sideways. Shikamaru shook his head while pressing a hand against the injured spot, then opened his mouth, but he was hopelessly too late. The door made a booming sound while closing as Temari returned to the house.

For several moments Shikamaru stood absolutely still, staring at the door that was now closed to him. Then, most likely sensing someone watching, the man turned towards him and their gazes met. In a matter of moments a single look spoke far louder than a thousand words.

The brunet winced while walking towards him. "How much did you see?"

He offered a tiny, gloomy smile. "Enough to know that I'm not the only who's day sucks."

Shikamaru rubbed his obviously throbbing cheek. "Hn." The man's eyes darkened. "But the plan holds. We're gonna do this."

Just then a voice that brought Naruto shivers of disgust and rage spoke. "Do what, exactly?"

They turned to see Danzo stood nearby with his usual haughty expression.

His eyes narrowed. "What the hell do you want?"

The older man folded his arms. "The Council has decided that it's time to move you aside from paperwork now that the real Hokage is back. You'll be going to a mission."

His eyes widened, then narrowed as disbelief turned to fury. "What?! No! There's no way in hell I'm going when my sons and Sasuke…!"

Danzo cut him short. "Either you go… or suffer the consequences." The man's eyes gleamed. "You've already defied many times. I doubt you'd need another mark on your file right now. Plus… I could quite easily make life very, very difficult for Sasuke and Taichi. You don't want me to do that, do you?" With that the man started to walk away.

"Shit…", Shikamaru huffed.

Naruto found himself unable to speak. Suddenly the air embracing him was much colder than before.

-

Danzo's eyes flashed as he walked away.

It looked like his problems were about to end, because Kabuto had finally decided to make his next move.

Naruto Uzumaki was not going to come back from that mission alive.

* * *

TBC – and hopefully a bit faster this time…

* * *

A/N: Oh dear… So now they're both in a trouble. (winces) Do things in this fic seem hopeless to you guys? Because they sure look like that to me. (gulps) And another cliffie, too! (groans)

Awkay, I've got a pretty tight schedule I'm trying to maintain, so I'm starting to tune off now. **PLEASE**, do leave a review to let me know your thoughts – it'd mean a lot to hear if this chapter was worth all the waiting or not! (gives huge puppy's eyes)

IN THE NEXT ONE: When Naruto and Sasuke part, neither of them knows if it's goodbye forever or not. Their children and friends also struggle to cope with the storm raging in their lives. The final dive into the dark before the new morning begins.

Until next time – I really hope ya'll all stick around for that!

Take care!

* * *

**coffeebean**: Ah, quite a storyline you have there – so cool! (grins)

Millions of thank yous for the review!

'Hope ya'll be sticking around.

-

**SaCyner**: Thanks a bunch for the vote – and welcome aboard! (smirks)

Monumental thank yous for the review!

I really hope ya'll stay on the ride for the next one(s).


	6. Where the Journey Towards the End Begins

A/N: I'm so, so sorry! (winces) I've seriously taken too long, AGAIN, haven't I? (groans) What can I say? School's messing my head. (pouts) BUT, I'm baaack – and yup, I've got an update. (grins)

BUT, first… Thank you so much for those lovely reviews! (HUGS, and beams) This story wouldn't twitch if it wasn't for you guys, so THANK YOU! As per usual, **responses to anonymous reviews** can be found from underneath the chappy.

Awkay, because I've already kept you waiting too long… Let's go! I really hope ya'll enjoy the ride. (gulps)

* * *

**PHASE 6 – Where the Journey Towards the End Begins**

* * *

Once again, Naruto found himself stood before a familiar door. After his knock, it took surprisingly long before Iruka showed up to open. In some other situation, he might've noticed how out of breath the man was and how disheveled the other looked.

The brunet frowned. "Naruto? What's wrong?"

He swallowed thickly. "I'm… going to a mission, and…" He sighed heavily, suddenly feeling very tired. When was the last time he'd slept, anyway? "Could Kai stay with you for a while?"

Something like fatherly worry flashed in those warm eyes for a moment. "You know Kai's always welcome." The man gave him a long, evaluating look. "But somehow, it looks like that's not the only thing you want to talk about."

It wasn't until then he realized that it was most likely months from when they'd last talked properly. Although Iruka still had a lot of pieces of his memory missing, the man's personality was pretty much the same. He hadn't even realized how much he'd missed the brunet.

He opened his mouth, but before he got another word out a very familiar voice came from the house. "'Ruka? Who was it?" At that moment Yamato appeared to the doorway. He wasn't sure which one blushed harder when he realized just how lightly the other was dressed. "Oh…"

His mouth opened several times before he finally managed to sputter. "I… I really should get going. Kai's… waiting." Oh man, his cheeks were burning up. Clearing his throat, he focused firmly on Iruka. "I'll see you later." He then added with a meaningful look. "Then, we'll _talk_."

This time, it was Iruka's turn to blush.

He opened his mouth, but in the end nothing came so he settled with giving a tiny grin and a wave while turning to leave.

Maybe some situations just didn't need words.

-

As he watched Naruto go, Iruka suddenly got a striking clear flash of the blond as a very young teen, grinning brightly and waving while running towards him.

He blinked when a pair of arms wrapped around him. "Hey, what's wrong?"

All of a sudden he smiled. "Nothing. Absolutely nothing." A look of mirth then lit up in his eyes. "Now… Weren't we doing something much more pleasant than this before?"

* * *

Kai was a very determined ninja-to-be, and the son of two very strong ninjas. That's why he'd never been one to trust strangers blindly.

His eyes narrowed at the man stood before him. "Why should I believe anything you tell me about my parents?"

The man, seeming to grow irritated, took a look around before focusing on him. "Listen up, because we don't have a lot of time, understood?" Those chilling eyes locked with his. "How much do you trust your parents?"

He frowned, wanting to run away and listen at the same time. "I trust them completely, of course. Why are you asking stuff like that?"

"Because your parents have been a little less than honest with you about their past." The stranger went on once two young children had ran past them. "They both have secrets and ghosts of the past – such that put them into a great deal of danger."

He felt confused, couldn't understand why this man telling him all these things and not quite trusting the information. "So what? I'll protect them."

The man chuckled at that. "You, protecting a demon and a traitor? Trust me, there's no way you or anyone else could save them."

"Kai?" His dad's voice sounded somewhat tense for some reason. "Are you there?"

The stranger looked at him once more with those chilling eyes that reminded him of a snake. "Ask your _papa_ about Itachi, and Orochimaru. Ask your dad about the Kyuubi. Search through Konoha's hidden history if you want to know what you're up against. Then you'll know who to trust."

By the time his dad showed up, the stranger was gone. The blond frowned while observing the look on his face. "What's wrong? Why aren't you home?"

He shook his head, still a little shook up from what the stranger had just told him. Why…? What…? That stuff couldn't be true, right? "Let's… just go, okay?"

His dad nodded, appearing thoughtful. The man didn't talk until they started to walk. "Well, kiddo, you're grounded, so it looks like we'll have a lot of time together." Blue eyes glanced towards him. "Maybe over some good ramen."

With his disgusted scowl, the mood returned to somewhat normal.

* * *

_One Week Later_

* * *

Sasuke was feeling tired and disordered when he opened his eyes, and frowned once meeting nothing but white.

_What the…?!_

And then some very unpleasant options came rushing through. A violent jolt running through him, he balled his fists and bounced to a sitting position – only to be rewarded with a wave of ravishing pain that made him growl.

"Hey, take it easy – take it easy!" That voice… was familiar to his buzzing head. A determined hand showed up to force him back down. "You… lost a lot of blood. You need to take it easy."

And at that moment he finally had the strength to lift his head. (How the hell could something so easy be so difficult?!) He wasn't sure what to feel when meeting Naruto's much too pale face and bloodshot eyes. He wasn't scared easily, but at that moment his stomach knotted and his hand flew to shield it.

What was wrong? What the hell was wrong?!

And then, whether he wanted to or not, he started to remember. "The… baby…" He wanted to wince at his pathetic, raspy tone. "What…?"

Naruto seemed much smaller all of a sudden as the blond sighed heavily and rubbed his face with one hand. "It… took five days and you collapsing before Danzo finally called Sakura over to see you. You'd bled so much that it's a miracle you're still alive." The other took a deep breath. "And… Apparently it's a even bigger miracle that the baby's alive, too, although she's barely hanging in there. For days it looked like she was going to come out." The blond gave him a wry little smile. "She's just as stubborn as we are. It looks like we're gonna get a real handfull."

He opened his mouth, but in the end came to a conclusion that brutal facts and reality could wait a while. Instead he frowned. "How did you get in?" Because he was sure that Danzo had several of his men keeping an eye on the door of his room.

Naruto shrugged, grinning somewhat feebly. "Meh, you know me. Do you honestly think those assholes would've been enough to keep me away?" The blond then gave him a demanding look. "Now let me into the bed, will you? I'm tired."

Not having any control over himself whatsoever, he did as ordered and watched how Naruto lay down, yawning foxily. As a pair of warm, quite comfortable arms wrapped around him, he found himself powerless to fight back. Stiffling a yawn, he shifted slightly closer to the blond and allowed his muscles to relax.

He rolled his eyes at himself.

He was softening up, wasn't he?

Just then he felt something he could've never imagined actually missing. At first he thought the slight sensation of pressure was nothing but his imagination, but then he felt it again, much more sharply.

The baby… was kicking, or perhaps more like squirming. And although it made him want to throw up, it also felt almost insanely good.

He groaned a little.

This third one was seriously turning him into a woman.

Naruto, of course, had to hear the faint sound he emitted. "Sasuke? What's wrong?"

Instead of speaking – because he was too damn tired for such – he took Naruto's hand and placed it to where the baby was still kicking furiously.

The blond gasped, and looked at him with those same wide, joy-filled eyes he'd met every single time the man had felt their sons kicking. And then came an impossibly wide grin. "That feels so amazing!"

He snorted, rolling his eyes and shivering under a wave of nausea. "Trust me, from this angle there's nothing amazing about it."

Naruto chuckled, then let his hand follow as the kicks and squirms changed. He didn't know exactly what to feel when the blond's moves became almost massaging, and blue eyes softened. "She likes this, huh?"

Sasuke couldn't keep his own eyes from softening just a little bit when he shifted to a more comfortable position. "Hn."

-

Naruto couldn't rid the stinging of his eyes while he kept feeling how the baby – their little girl – moved under his hand.

In some other situation he might've chuckled at himself.

Wasn't Sasuke supposed to be the hormone-driven one of the two of them?

Sighing somewhat heavily, he snuggled closer to Sasuke – who seemed to be fast asleep already – and closed his eyes while one hand remained on the raven's stomach and his other arm pulled the Uchiha closer.

Danzo's men could try all they liked – he wasn't about to budge, not when he felt so comfortable.

He didn't even notice how he fell asleep, soothed by the soft scent of the man he loved and the feeling of his little one kicking.

He slept without any dreams whatsoever.

* * *

_One Week Later_

* * *

Taichi's dreams – or rather nightmares – had been so bizarre that at times they didn't even make sense. The most annoying and perhaps scariest part, however, was that _something_ that'd made a nest into his head. _It_ went through his memories as though it'd owned them, ripped open everything he missed until it felt like his heart had been torn to shreds.

For the about a millionth time, he saw flashes of his parents – some of them from days he hadn't even known he remembered. Birthdays, all those times they'd comforted and trained him, good days and bad days…

'_That's parents' unconditional love, you see?_' a voice he hated from the bottom of his heart purred. '_I bet they miss you._'

He wished he could've screamed, fought back, anything to make that _thing_ understand that he wasn't going to give in, that he wasn't…

Before that thought was finished, flashes of Kai followed. He holding his little brother for the first time – which was his earliest memory – the two of them training together, his brother beaming at him…

Suddenly breathing was almost impossible, although he wasn't sure if he could even breathe in this place.

'_He truly loves you, Taichi. And he needs you. Don't you want to go back to him?_'

The image of Kai's tear-stained face got stuck in his head, and he wanted to reach out for his brother from the bottom of his heart although he knew it was impossible. He would've given _anything_ if he'd just…!  
No. Although it hurt almost more than he could stand, a part of him knew he couldn't.

But _the thing_ wasn't through with him yet, not even close. For completely without a warning, he saw Kiko.

Her smile. The way she fought – just like her parents, everyone who knew those two had always said. The way she looked at him sometimes. The way her lips tasted when they kissed for the first time in a cold forest in the middle of a pouring rain. How good it'd felt when she'd…

Something hot streamed down his cheeks, and he blinked with surprise.

He couldn't cry in this place, could he?

'_See, Taichi? You want to go back for her. You want to make more of those memories, don't you? I'm sure you don't want to simply give up on her._'

He wanted to scream again, wanted to shout – hell, even if it'd smashed his pride he would've wanted to cry. But in the end all he could do was let things happen, allow _it_ to wrap around him.

Little by little, he felt his control slipping. It was the scariest experience he'd ever had.

And then his eyes flew open to meet the terrified ones of a young female-medic.

* * *

Going to a mission was just about the last thing Naruto wanted, especially with his family's current situation – he would've been needed in Konoha more than ever. But as it was, he didn't really have a choice if he wanted the opportunity to ever regain his position as the Hokage.

And so – that very late night, or perhaps extremely early morning – he found himself watching Sasuke sleeping in his hospital-bed.

The next day, Sasuke would be transported back to the prison – no power of friends could keep the Uchiha in the hospital any longer. And very soon Sasuke's punishment of plotting against Danzo would be put into action. He didn't dare to even guess what that might mean.

Losing all control over himself, Naruto moved surprisingly soundlessly and walked up to Sasuke's bed, planting a tiny kiss to the Uchiha's forehead. He squeezed his eyes tightly shut and fought furiously against the stinging of his eyes while whispering. "I'll see you soon, okay? So you better wait for me." Carefully, he placed his hand to the raven's carefully hidden bump and was fairly sure he felt a jolt. "You both better wait up."

It took his all, but eventually he managed to rip himself away from Sasuke and forced his feet into taking him to the door. He'd almost made it out before he heard a slightly sleepy, familiar voice. "And you better come back." Sasuke's eyes were sharp and extremely serious. "Or I'll never forgive you. Understood?"

He nodded weakly, a huge lump appearing to block his throat. He hoped from the bottom of his heart that he could've done or said something more, but nothing came out in the end.

Turning away from Sasuke and closing the door felt worse than any weapon's hit.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Naruto couldn't help wondering why the departure felt far too much like goodbye.

* * *

Sakura couldn't tell how many days had passed from Sai's death; since then everything had passed by in such a blur that she hadn't really had the time to stop and realize what'd happened. With baby-Yuki and all practical arrangements she'd had too much to think about. Sai had also been in the hospital for such a long time that it felt deviously easy to think that she'd still be able to find him there.

Had she even cried after first finding out? She didn't think so, and the realization made her so sick with guilt that she'd woken up during three nights to throw up after having dreams of Sai.

Tonight, she finally took the time to truly visit Sai's grave for the first time. Seeing his name engraved to the stone was like a hit right at her face, filled her with something she'd never felt before.

She didn't know how long she'd stood there – simply staring at Sai's name with wide, barely seeing eyes – until Naruto's familiar voice brought her back to awareness. "Sakura?" She didn't manage to turn or speak. It felt like she'd lost all control over her body.

She shivered a little when feeling a hand on her shoulder. "C'mon, let's go before you freeze to death."

She didn't want to go, didn't want to leave Sai all alone. But she also didn't have the strength to fight back. And the next thing she knew, she was sitting in the kitchen of Naruto and Sasuke's apartment, a mug-full of something that smelled and looked equally sickening waiting for her. She shivered a little, frowning at the headache wanting to kick in.

Naruto slumped heavily to the chair across hers, appearing far older than his years all of a sudden. The blond's mouth opened once, then twice before voice came. "This sucks", the man murmured softly, then focused on her. "Where's Yuki?"

She swallowed down something, then dared to take a sip of her drink. It tasted… surprisingly good, actually. "He's… with my mom. I've been staying with her a lot, since…" She didn't really want to voice the rest, so she drowned herself on the drink instead. She blinked once realizing that the mug was empty. "How did you make this?"

Naruto almost grinned at her surprised expression. "Sasuke made that mixture. I probably don't even want to know what he puts into it." And suddenly all mirth was gone.

She swallowed thickly, the drink's strange taste still filling her mouth. All of a sudden her eyes stung for some reason; maybe it was the mixture's fault. "I'm sorry."

Naruto shook his head, appearing very solemn all of a sudden. "I haven't lost him yet. And I'm not going to, whatever it takes." Sakura truly wished she could've believed him, that she would've known he hadn't given up yet, but she saw the look in his eyes. And somehow it hurt much more than anything else.

At that moment she finally did what she probably should've days ago. She broke down into wrenching sobs.

* * *

Shikamaru had honestly thought that he could head for his mission silently, without any drama or shouting whatsoever. He should've known not to underestimate his wife.

For as he was packing up the last of his equipment, a much too familiar, somewhat frosty voice came from behind him, making him shiver a little. "Only you could be an idiot enough to think that you can leave without me noticing."

Groaning rather loudly, he braced himself and turned slowly. "Look, I can't do this, not right now, okay? Can't we have this fight later?"

Temari's eyes flashed just a little bit. "Who said I came for a fight?" The woman took a deep breath, then offered something rather sharply towards him. "I… figured you wouldn't want to go without this."

He looked towards her hand, and blinked twice owlishly.

She was holding a rather plain bracelet, made of leather and a single red string. It was a lucky charm – one he and his daughter had both always worn on missions. Kiko had only forgotten it once.

Blinking again, his eyes stinging just a little bit, he looked towards his wife. "Wasn't that thing…?"

Temari nodded sharply, obviously holding back something. "I… got it from Kiko's room." Without further explanations she walked up to him. She tried to attach the bracelet, but her hands shook so badly that it was next to impossible. Her eyes narrowed. "Damn it…"

Figuring that it was for the best not to say anything further, he moved his hand somewhat cautiously – as though fearing she'd hurt him – and helped her as subtly as he could. It took almost fifteen minutes before the bracelet was on him securely. And then, completely without a warning, Temari wrapped her arms around him and held him so that his breath was stolen completely for a moment.  
For the longest time he didn't know what to do, but in the end he returned her hold somewhat clumsily, feeling a lump he couldn't understand in his throat. It took a long time before he managed to speak. "I'll come back in a couple of weeks, you know?"

Temari swatted the back of his head with one hand, seeming to shiver a little. "I know that, you idiot." Was that… a sniff he heard? He hoped dearly it wasn't. "And… there's something to come back for." She took a deep breath, then looked at him directly to eyes, appearing… almost scared. He'd never seen her like that. "I'm pregnant."

Shikamaru wondered if the world spun a little at that moment, or if it was just him.

* * *

Shadows had fallen long ago and it was so dark that he could barely see, but Sasuke didn't manage to find sleep although everyone kept telling him he needed rest.

His eyes were dark with annoyance while he balled his fists.

Naruto was leaving for a mission. One of their sons was just downstairs and he wasn't allowed to go and see him for even a glimpse, and their other son was separated from his whole family.

Sasuke didn't think he'd ever been as frustrated in his whole life.

Just then his whole body jolted when the room's door was opened with a tiny screech. He wanted to groan or wince as some unpleasant thoughts floated to his head.

Those morons guarding his door would only let in few people. None of them was such he would've wanted to see.

As he turned his gaze, however, he found his expression changing quickly.

For stood by the doorway was none other than Kai, looking much younger than usual and so sad that it hurt him just a little bit.

He frowned, struggling to a sitting position. "Shouldn't you be home?"

Kai's lower lip quivered just a little bit, but the boy restrained it with a harsh bite. "I… I just hate it when either one of you takes missions, 'k?" The child seemed almost hesitant all of a sudden. "Dad's… talking to aunt-Sakura – I think it was about you and uncle-Sai. They sounded so serious." His son searched through his eyes, clearly trying to find answers.

Gritting his teeth a little too tightly, he focused on not wincing when the baby started squirming again. _You really need to work on your timing_, he inwardly scolded the being inside him_._ "It… wasn't anything you should worry about."

It was then Kai's self-control slipped. One tear the boy probably didn't notice meandered down the child's cheek. "Uncle… Uncle Sai died." It was a slightly heartbroken statement – Kai had always enjoyed training with Sai. "Everything's falling apart. Are things ever going to work out?"

Sighing inwardly, he did something no living soul would've expected him to do. "Come here", he called in a completely uncharacteristic tone, letting hormones take over for a moment.

Kai didn't need to be told twice. The child's crushing hold hurt almost more than he could stand with how sore his stomach was, and he fought not to make a sound while wrapping one arm around his son. It took a while before he spoke. "Kai, what's wrong?" He knew his younger son, and he _knew_ the child was _never_ like this, not even with the current turmoil – there was just too much Naruto in the boy.

"Nothing", Kai claimed in a muffled tone, burying his face into his chest.

His eyes almost narrowed, and his voice lowered as he asked again. "What's wrong?"

Some tears of Kai's made the fabric covering his chest wet, and the child started to shake a little. It took long before the boy could speak. "He… He just scared me, that's all."

At that moment he saw red. "Who did?" he all but screeched.

Kai didn't seem startled by his tone, didn't seem to even hear. "He… He told me to ask you about Itachi." The child frowned when peering up at him. "Who was he?"

It felt like the bottom had dropped from his world, and only his son's presence kept him from gagging dryly.

Maybe… he'd been running from the past too long.

He spoke before properly thinking through the words. "He… was my brother." Once again he felt sick to his stomach. "Maybe you're old enough to hear his story."

* * *

Gaara had never been exactly good at trusting people, much too often for a very good reason. That's why he was almost startled by how willingly he allowed Neji to sneak back into his life and take over almost all of him.

He'd only come to Konoha to support Temari, and to say goodbye to his niece, thinking there was nothing else left for him in the village. But days had turned to weeks, and with each passing morning when he woke up by Neji's side the thought of home and all the responsibilities waiting for him felt more and more distant. The thought of going back was starting to feel like a surreal dream of some sort.

He yawned softly while opening his eyes and stretching, slightly sore but very much comfortable with the warmth resting beside his naked body. Turning his gaze, he gave a look he wouldn't have let any mortal being witness while observing Neji's sleeping face. There was a tiny frown, almost a pout, on the Hyuuga's face – as though the man had ben having a bad dream of some sort – until the brunet's body shifted even closer to him. He'd never seen the kind of a smile Neji gave just then, obviously dreaming of something very pleasant.

He felt something strange he couldn't name inside him, and only the thought that he didn't want to wake the other kept him from touching.

Had he really thought he could leave _this_ behind?

With that quite pleasant thought he was almost falling asleep again until a distant, very annoying sound forced him back to awareness.

Was that… a knock – at that hour?

Irritated and very reluctant to abandon the warmth, he moved cautiously to avoid waking up Neji, leaving the bed and pulling on a light dressing gown.

The journey to the house's door was much longer than he'd remembered, yet when it was finished he wished it hadn't ended so soon.

For stood behind the door was a short woman of his age with shortcut, at the moment unruly dark hair and the sharpest blue eyes he'd ever seen. And she appeared very, very displeased. "Do you have any idea how hard it was to find you?" she growled, folding her arms.

His eyes narrowed. "What the hell are you doing here?"

She scoffed. "I came all the way here to remind my husband that he should come back home before people start asking any more questions." She then noticed his outfit and arched an eyebrow. "And what the hell exactly are _you_ doing here?"

* * *

Morning was barely rising when Naruto and Shikamaru met their third teammate – a very young, clearly inexperienced and nervous male medic-nin with long, dirty-blond hair and pale-green eyes.

Shikamaru snorted, then spoke so loudly that the male most likely heard. "You've gotta be kidding me…"

Naruto found himself wanting to frown. Wasn't this mission supposed to be rather challenging? Shouldn't they have been given a proper medic?

The man – almost a teen – smiled a little while bowing respectfully. "Good morning. I'm Kaide, and I'm going to join your mission." He shook his head when seeing Shikamaru opening his mouth. "There's no need for you to introduce yourself. I know both of you, at least by your reputation."

Shikamaru didn't seem impressed. "In that case you also know what our missions are like. Are you sure you're skilled enough for this? Because if you aren't, now's your last chance to save your face and let us know."

Kaide, however, smiled as though it'd been his only expression. "I'll be fine, I'm sure – I've listened well during my lessons."

The two continued their strange little fight while Naruto's attention slipped to something else entirely. Chills traveled down his spine.

There, on a dead tree-branch, sat a rather large raven, which was looking at him with almost demanding eyes while croaking

He shivered, feeling very cold.

"Hokage-sama?" Kaide and Shikamaru were both looking at him weirdly. "Are you alright?"

Naruto fought with his all to keep his expression even, to chase away the dark feeling swelling inside him. But even with the best of efforts, his smile was stiff. "Yeah, I'm okay. Now let's get going." He'd done dozens of missions before. Why should this one be any different?

His companions, not quite seeming to believe him, nodded.

As they went, none of them could've possibly known about the eyes observing them. A dangerous flash could be seen before a shadow disappeared.

* * *

TBC, right…?

* * *

A/N: Well, how about this – some happiness? (chuckles) I'm seriously softening up. Now let's hope this new development lasts, ne? (gulps)

I've got about a million things on my to-do –list, so I've really gotta tune out. (winces) But **PLEASE**, do leave a review before doing the same – it'd mean a lot to hear your thoughts! (gives puppy's eyes)

IN THE NEXT ONE: Naruto gets some unpleasant surprises as his mission begins. Suigetsu also learns some nasty facts of Danzo's plans, and with Juugo's aid starts a rather weird rescue-mission. Also, an old friend makes an appearance at the exactly right time…

**ONLY THREE OR FOUR TO GO!**

Until next time, which'll HOPEFULLY be sometime soon!

Peace out!

* * *

**sugargirl89**: You know, I actually agree with you. (smiles) And guess what? This rather dark story's starting to change a little, slowly yet surely. I really hope ya'll be staying tuned to see that happen!  
Thank you so much for the review!  
I really hope you're willing to give this story a chance.


	7. Where You’ve Gotta Hold On

A/N: Well how about this – a timely update for once! (grins)

BUT, before getting started… Thank you guys so much for your review! (HUGS) They're seriously giving me the drive to update. So THANK YOU! (grins from ear to ear) As per usual, **responses to anonymous reviews** can be found from underneath the chappy.

Awkay, because I bet you guys want to get on with the story, let's go! (gulps nervously) I REALLY hope ya'll enjoy this.

TOTALLY RANDOM JIBBERING: I've been struggling to come up with how this story should end. A couple of days ago it finally came to me – and I actually shed some tears. (sweatdrops) Which was kind of creepy, because I don't do crying. Shows just how long I've been working on this lil' thing.

* * *

PHASE 7 – Where You've Gotta Hold On

* * *

Entering his kitchen after morning had barely began, Iruka got a slight shock when finding Kai already sitting there.

It was surprising that Naruto's son woke up that early. But as he looked at Kai's face, he started to understand.

Frowning, he poured himself some tea and prepared for something unpleasant. "Kai? What's wrong?"

It took long before Kai spoke, and for a moment he was sure there wouldn't be a response. "I… visited _papa_ last night. I wanted to see him, before Danzo drags him away again, especially after…" He wondered just what the boy swallowed. The child's eyes became almost unfamiliar. "He… He told me about Itachi." The child appeared confused all of a sudden. "I'm still trying to understand it all."

He sighed heavily and sat down, wondering furiously how to set his words. "You're old enough to understand that people… make mistakes, sometimes big ones. That's what makes us human." He tried to smile a little. "But thank heavens we grow up, and we learn. And if we're lucky enough, we get to start anew."

Kai cast his gaze downwards, still appearing troubled. "People… still haven't forgiven _papa_. I understand that now." The child's expression darkened. "I don't think even he's forgiven himself yet."

It took all Iruka had not to wince. How was he supposed to explain what was going on inside the head of someone like Sasuke?

Apparently he didn't have to try, because Kai broke the silence in a surprisingly sharp tone. "I hate Danzo." The boy looked at him, those eyes that were just like his _papa_'s moist and filled with a heartbreaking turmoil. "I… I really hate him." And suddenly it felt like he'd been looking at Sasuke.

His throat felt itchy for a moment, but in the end he knew what to do – what should've been said to another Uchiha-offspring so many years ago. He sighed heavily. "I know how you feel, but… You can't let it fill you – you deserve a much better life than that." Stirring his tea, he couldn't keep himself from adding. "Your _papa _would never want to see that happening to you." _To see you repeat his mistakes._

For the longest time Kai looked at him, as though trying to come to a decision. Then, very slowly, a huge grin appeared to the boy's face, and he remember that the child was Naruto's son as well. "Thanks, Iruka-sensei."

He winced, although a tiny smile wasn't far. "How many times do I have to tell you that it makes me feel old when you call me that?" He then got up, feeling like he hadn't slept at all the night before. "Now what do you say if I made us some breakfast?"

Kai grinned again, his eyes calm once more. "Sounds like a plan."

The rest of the morning was rather quiet, but at least the mood wasn't depressed anymore. Neither dared to speak of Naruto or Sasuke.

Iruka wondered just how long the peace would last.

* * *

The new day was already dawning, but Sasuke felt nowhere near awake while finishing getting changed to his normal clothes, working his hardest to ignore the two guards Danzo had sent watching.

Soon enough, he'd be back in the prison, and his sons would be separated from both their parents. That thought was enough to make his hands shake with rage.

One of the guards snorted. "Do you need help getting dressed?" One glare from him was enough to make the man fall ashen and look away.

Just then he heard sounds from the hallway. "_Are you saying that he's awake?_"

"_Yeah, and causing havoc. I don't get it – one moment the seal had taken over all of him, and now he's trashing the place._"

"_He's an Uchiha. What else did you expect?_"

That was what it took. The guards barely managed to sprint after him fast enough when he left the room and let his instincts lead him.

The two guards standing outside the room of his son and the two more following him all showed up to block his path as soon as he reached his destinatination. "There's no going past this point, Uchiha", one of them announced.

His eyes narrowed dangerously. "Either you let me go and see my son, or I'll let myself in. Understood?"

Quite obviously unwilling to do so, all the guards moved just a little and the door was opened for him. "You've got two minutes", one of them announced. "After that, we'll come and drag you out by force."  
He paid no heed to those words, because just then he saw his son.

Some traces of the seal still lingered on Taichi's skin as the boy stood shakily, but mostly the teen seemed to be in control over himself – obviously in pain and scared, but nonetheless in control.

Not stopping to think about the audience he had, he walked up to his son and laid a hand to a slightly quaking shoulder. "I know how hard it is – I know exactly how much it hurts. But you're much stronger than me. So don't you dare give up, do you hear me?"

Their gazes met, and suddenly they both felt that nothing more needed to be said. His strength giving out, Taichi swayed as his knees buckled. Sasuke had never felt as helpless as he did when watching two guards catch his son while two more took a tight hold on him.

If he would've been a little less proud, he might've very well started to scream.

This was his son, for crying out loud! He should've, he would've wanted to…

The guards were, however, unwavering.

It, apparently, wasn't until then his son managed to comprehend the full situation at hand, noticed the men restraining him. Once more his eyes met Taichi's confused, almost scared ones. "_Papa_? What's going on?"

Sasuke wasn't entirely sure what he would've wanted say – he'd never exactly shone with words. And before he ever got the chance to make up his mind, the guards forced him to move. "Let's go. You've wasted enough our time already."

It's going to be alright, he would've wanted to say. Everything's going to work out.

He was fairly sure he heard Taichi scream something when he was escorted away, and he had to grit his teeth hard to keep the sound balling in his throat from erupting.

When the heavy door was slammed closed between them, it felt this tiniest bit of him had smashed to pieces although he couldn't understand why.

* * *

Neji frowned when waking up to distant sounds of two people talking, and his frown deepened as he came to a conclusion that it was Gaara talking to some woman.

What the hell was going on?

Getting up and pulling on some clothes, he made his way downstairs. He blinked once when finding Gaara and a woman he'd never seen before hissing at each other.

"… can't just march here!" the redhead snarled in a hushed tone, obviously not knowing that he was already awake.

The woman snorted. "You think I don't have the right to? I'm your…!" Just then she trailed off when noticing him. A clearly faked pleasant smile made its way to her face. "Well hello there."

He'd been confused. But when he saw the look in Gaara's eyes as the redhead noticed him as well he _knew_, so clearly that a sickening taste appeared to his mouth.

His eyes were narrowed as he approached, focusing on the woman because he couldn't look at Gaara anymore. "Who the hell are you?"

"I'm Gaara's wife." Her expression remained chillingly even as she said this. "And you must be my husband's playmate."

He'd been injured several times, more than once badly enough to have him clinging for life. But he'd never experienced the kind of ache that filled all of him at that moment, leaving him breathless.

At that moment, he did the only thing he could think of. He turned around and walked out of the house without giving Gaara another look, every single muscle in his body so stiff they ached.

When he came back two hours later, Gaara was gone.

* * *

Not all that far from the borderline of Konoha, Naruto stopped all of a sudden and turned his gaze towards the village he could just see.

Suddenly he felt much colder than before.

Shikamaru appeared next to him with a frown. "What's wrong?"

He shook his head and frowned as well, not understanding why his eyes stung. Something dark swelled under his ribcage. "I… don't know", he confessed in the end.

"Then let's go", Shikamaru suggested, sounding impatient. "I want to get home someday, and I'm pretty sure so do you."

He nodded slowly, and they turned to go on.

Their medic Kaide, who'd been observing their exchange of words silently, gave them a pleasant smile while moving to follow them.

All of a sudden Naruto felt like he'd been heading towards the doom.

-

Had he not been occupied by other things, he might've noticed the raven that rose to its wings and followed, giving a loud cry.

* * *

_Three Weeks Later_

* * *

To Neji, the past weeks had flown by in a blur, without him being able to feel or understand pretty much anything. When Danzo announced that he'd be going to a high-rank mission, he was almost relieved.

He'd go anywhere, as long as it'd keep him and his thoughts away from Gaara.

He already thought he'd be able to escape without a single glimpse of the redhead. But that evening, when he was walking to meet his team, a much too familiar figure stood waiting for him. "We need to talk."

He'd barely slept for weeks, he was going to a mission and he felt more hurt than ever in his life. That's why his reaction was just about the last one he'd expected. He gave a sharp, bitter laugh. "Talk? Your wife introduces herself to me, and _now_ you feel like talking?" His breath hitched, and pretty soon he realized that he wouldn't be able to hold himself back this time around. "I told you about my kiss with Naruto although it didn't mean a thing – I… I was going to give you fucking everything! And it meant nothing!"

In some other state of mind, he might've seen the flash of hurt in Gaara's eyes. "Neji, I really need to tell you something!"

Just one shake of head from him was enough to make the redhead shut up. "No. If I ever meant a thing to you… Just don't, okay?" He grit his teeth once more to find the courage to meet the redhead's eyes. "When I come back from this mission… I want you to be gone, understood? I don't ever want to see you again." With that he walked away sharply, as fast as he could without running.

And he hoped from the bottom of his heart that the warmth on his cheeks wasn't what he thought it was.

* * *

Three weeks.

Naruto grit his teeth, something hot bubbling in his veins.

How a two-week-mission had taken that long to get less than halfway was beyond him. But he did know that he'd never wanted to go home as desperately.

He'd been standing by the inn-room's window alone for too long, perhaps, because he shuddered with surprise when the room's door opened and Shikamaru marched in. "We should get going", the man announced in a gloomy tone. "The weather's good for once. Kaide thinks we should get on the move before it gets worse again."

He groaned. "So we'll have more walking? Oh joy."

Shikamaru emitted a gruff sound from the back of his throat. "This mission is getting too damn troublesome."

"Hn", he commented while packing the last of his stuff.

Shikamaru snorted. "You've spent too much time with Sasuke."

He gave his friend a rather childish look. "I miss him. So sue me."

There was a moment of silence while they both drifted in their thoughts. "You know what?" Shikamaru's expression was already much calmer. "When we get home from here, I'll resign. I'm done with this ninja-crap."

He found himself smiling a bit. This was the happiest he'd seen Shikamaru since Kiko's death; it felt good to see him moving on a little. "I bet Temari'll make backflips with joy when hearing that."

Shikamaru's eyes softened, although the man tried to hide it. "Yeah. I know."

He chuckled. "Softie."

Shikamaru gave him a glare. "Tell anyone and I'll strangle you in your sleep."

He rolled his eyes, an inch from smiling fully. "Yeah, yeah. Now let's go before Kaide loses his nerves with us."

A second before they left, he glanced towards the window behind him. High up against the blackest sky the moon shone with slightly bluish silver. No clouds could be seen shadowing its full glory and beauty.

Out of the blue, he smiled just a little bit.

It calmed him down a little, to believe with childish determination that Sasuke could see the same thing.

* * *

In his tiny, stinking cell, Sasuke made a gruff sound of discomfort when the baby squirmed inside him, as though not quite managing to find a comfortable position.

_I know exactly how you feel_, he mused darkly while shifting his head so that he saw the tiny window-hole nearby his cell's roof. He wondered when the moon had made its way up into the sky.

It wasn't that late yet, was it?

Sakura's voice forced him back to the present. "I'm… not hurting you, am I?" She pulled her still slightly glowing hand away. In the faint light, he could clearly see all the signs of sleepless nights on her face. She cleared her throat while getting up. "It looks like the baby's alright, though I'm still guessing that she's too impatient to wait until the due to date. Soon enough you'll be seven months pregnant – I'd like to see her growing up at least until the eighth month is up."

"Hn." His eyes were thoughtful while he watched how she prepared to leave. "Sakura… Why are you doing this?" Seeing her expression, he rolled his eyes. "I know Danzo isn't happy to see you visiting me. So why?"

He could only remember one night when Sakura's eyes had looked the way they did then. This time, however, the reasons were very different. She grit her teeth so hard it showed. "I already lost Sai. And I… I don't want to lose you, too."

He fought the urge to turn his gaze away as unpleasant thoughts flooded.

She didn't want to lose a friend aside a husband – he saw the ache on her face. And he couldn't help wondering if he'd cause Naruto…

He cut that thought sharply. "Hn", was what he settled with.

Sakura gave him a tiny smile. "I'll see you as soon as possible, okay? Try not to stress out too much – a lot of people are trying to get you out."

He nodded, then watched how she left. For some reason he felt very tired all of a sudden.

Taking a better position on his extremely uncomfortable bed once more, he let his gaze drift to the moon. Apparently the baby… seemed to like it, because she calmed down. He, on the other hand, sizzled with a trapped wild animal's helpless rage.

He didn't sleep that night.

* * *

Taking some deep breaths, Sakura managed to compose herself enough to be able to walk through the prison without arousing too much attention. Her eyes narrowed slightly.

These little visits were becoming harder and harder, it seemed. Because although she never told Sasuke about it, she sensed the changes all over his body. The pregnancy was taking its toll, no matter how strong the Uchiha was, and he wasn't anywhere near proper medical care. And the one time she would've desperately wanted to believe in miracles – after all, they'd already seen two, hadn't they? – she just couldn't.

That dark trail of thought was cut when she heard two unfamiliar voices talking. "_So Danzo finally forced the council into a deal?_"

"_Yeah, he talked some sense into those idiots. The Uchiha's been walzing around Konoha unpunished long enough – now that's going to end._"

The other slurped his drink loudly. "_When's the execution going to take place?_"

"_In ten days. __Though in my opinion that's too late._"

Sakura felt like throwing up, and absolutely all warmth disappeared from her.

They… were actually going to execute Sasuke? They were going to kill Sasuke, although at least Danzo must've known he was pregnant?

She'd never ran as fast as she did then, no longer giving a damn about going unnoticed.

-

After her all but frantic knock, it took torturously long before the one she'd gone to see showed up to open.

Suigetsu arched a suspicious eyebrow when seeing her. "Now what are you doing here?"

She felt her eyes sharpen while she marched in. "There's… a situation. And somehow I've got a feeling that you and Juugo are the only ones crazy enough to help."

The man gave a toothy grin. "Sounds like fun. Shoot."

* * *

_One Week Later_

* * *

Night had already practically fallen, and Sasuke was just about to fall asleep when his sharp ears perked up to sounds that unnerved him.

Somewhere in the distance of the hallways, quite a bit of shouting took place – along with something that sounded like noises from a battle – until there was a scream he barely caught. After that it was eerily silent for a moment until the hassle escalated. And then the door of his cell screeched as it was opened.

It took a moment before he recognized the arrival in the hallway's dim light. But when he did, his eyebrow bounced high up. "Suigetsu? What the…?"

"Let's leave the long story for later, okay?" The man motioned him to follow. "Danzo's out of the village until tomorrow, and it'll take at least half an hour before anyone outside the prison notices anything. This is your only chance."

He frowned. "What about the guards?"

Suigetsu smirked. "Let's say that Juugo's got that section covered. We better get going before he has the time to get too excited."

He grit his teeth as something came to his mind. "Meet me by the northern borderline in ten minutes." He went on when Suigetsu frowned. "It's safer to split up. Plus, there's something I need to do…"

-

The room was completely dark as Sasuke sneaked in, moving as silently as he possibly could with his slightly swollen stomach. Although he would've never let it show from his face, he felt a sharp twinge inside when peering through the darkness to see what he'd come for.

In the bed Iruka had given him, Kai was sleeping with a frown on his face and muttering something inaudible. By the looks of it, he guessed his son was having a nightmare of some sort.

Unable to hold himself back, he walked up to the bed and laid a surprisingly soft hand to the boy's shoulder. "Kai", he called out, keeping his voice down not to wake up Iruka. "You're having a nightmare. Wake up."

And very slowly those eyes – exactly like his – inched first halfway, then flew open. Even with sleep still clouding them, Kai's eyes lit up when the child saw him. "_Papa_!"

"Shh." Deciding that pride didn't mean a thing at the moment, he ruffled his son's hair lightly. "Go back to sleep."

As naïve as a child should be, Kai nodded with a smile and closed his eyes with a small sigh, snuggling slightly closer to him. A much smaller hand looked for his, and it was much harder than it should've been to pull his hand away.

It was time to let go, wasn't it?

Once more he brushed his son's hair, moving away a strayed lock of hair, then turned around although it was one of the hardest things he'd ever done.

He didn't dare to look back while walking out of the room.

Suigetsu arched an eyebrow at him when he finally made it to their meeting place. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes", he replied in a gruff tone. "Now let's go. We can't waste any more time."

* * *

Since Sai's death, Sakura had been a light sleeper those nights she actually got any sleep. That's why it didn't surprise her that she woke up that night as well.

After making sure Yuki was fast asleep, she got dressed and left the house, making her way to the forest sorrounding the village's borderline. Her eyes started to sting at what she found.

Less than fifteen steps away, Sasuke, Suigetsu and Juugo – who's shirt was somewhat bloodcaked – were just preparing to leave. Obviously sensing her looking, Sasuke turned his gaze and their eyes met.

All of a sudden, she remember a certain night from distant past much too clearly.

She couldn't read Sasuke's expression, but she did manage to read his lips. 'Thank you.' With that he turned around, and the trio disappeared.

She wrapped her arms around herself and swallowed laboriously.

Suddenly the nightwind was much colder than before.

* * *

The frost spreading from Danzo's office some hours later could've stilled anyone's heart when Danzo – who'd come back earlier than expected after receiving an urgent message – listened to the news of that night's events.

For almost a full minute it was utterly, terrifyingly silent. Then the storm erupted. "You morons let that Uchiha escape?! You imbeciles let him get away?!"

The young guard listening to him swallowed with apparent difficulty before daring to speak. "What… What do you want us to do?"

Danzo's eyes were nowhere near human. "Find that traitor, and kill him. Slaughter him. And none of you rests until his lifeless corpse has been brought to me."

* * *

If there was one thing Shikamaru wasn't, it was stupid. And as he woke up that night in the cold forest to find Kaide's mattress empty, he knew his suspicions had been justified. Without making a sound, he got up and started to move.

He found Kaide nearby a rather low cliff that opened a fall to a river. The man was training, it seemed – training movements that, little as he liked to admit it, would've been too challenging even for him.

And at that moment he knew, with chilling certainty.

Just then Kaide stopped training and turned his gaze. Their eyes met. "Shikamaru-sama? What is it?"

His eyes narrowed, and in an instant his body prepared for a fight. "You", he hissed. "It's you, isn't it?"

At first the man looked him expressionlessly. Then – so suddenly that it caught him by surprise – the other started to laugh hollowly. "You know… I'm surprised it took you this long to gather the pieces." With a suave movement the man's hand ripped off the mask that'd been covering his face – and he met the face of Kabuto. "I managed to lead you pretty far from Konoha – well far enough. It's time to move."

His eyes squinted to slits. "I'm not letting you lay a hand on Naruto", he hissed through tightly grit teeth.

Kabuto chuckled darkly. "You know what?" The man's hand started to glow. "I don't think you have much of a choice over the matter."

Just then there were steps as someone approached. "What the…?" And then Naruto was fully awake. "Shit…!"

Shikamaru was fast, but nowhere near fast enough. The hit came long before he managed to pull in a hasty breath.

And for a moment, he could've sworn he saw Kiko's face.

-

To Naruto, the scene unfolding felt like a nightmare of some sort. The sounds, the scent and sight of blood… It wasn't until Kabuto threw his friend's limp body over the cliff he finally realized that the events were very much real.

His eyes widened beyond all human limitations as he watched his friend fall down towards the unknown. "SHIKAMARU!"

Kabuto's eyes carried no emotions when the man looked at him. "Now, with unnecessary distractions removed… We can finally get to the business."

His eyes narrowed, and his blood lit into a boiling that might've startled him in some other situation. "You asshole…"

Kabuto chuckled. "Now, now, there's no need to get upset. This is just business, remember?" The man's eyes flashed. "Now, we can play a little. And when I'm done with you, the path is clear to go for the rest of my little plan."

Naruto had been on the edge for the longest time – fearing for Sasuke and their children, losing Sai, losing his position. And now… Now, he finally boiled over.

With such a screech that can barely be called human, he stormed towards Kabuto, not even managing to think which technique to use. All he wanted was to rip the person who'd brought so much pain to tiny pieces.

He was, of course, far too brash, too angry. He gave a loud hiss when Kabuto greeted his attack with a hit of his own, such that might've struck him down in some other state of mind. Now he, however, recovered quickly. In a matter of moments they were spinning around each other like deranged beasts and their Chakra-loaded attacks lit up the entire forest, shredding the sorroundings to pieces.

In the end Naruto discovered that Kabuto was standing much too close, and there was something pressed against his throat. "I already have almost all the Tailed Beasts, you know? And as soon as I've got the Kyuubi, I'm going to make Sasuke pay for what he did to Orochimaru-sama. After that I'll put the whole damn Ninja-world to its knees – with the help of your sons and their eyes. I've already given Taichi the seal and paid Kai a little visit. Even you won't be able to stop me."

Naruto couldn't think, could barely focus on Kabuto's words. All he saw were flashes of his friends.

Of Sai.

Of Shikamaru.

Of Sasuke.

Of their sons.

Of the whole world Kabuto was about to tear to bits.

At that moment he found brand new force from within. And he screamed as huge balls of energy began to mold. "You're going to pay for this!"

The hit came much faster than anyone could've prevented it. Naruto felt much better than he should've when he watched how the man flew, eventually slamming against a tree.

Spitting out blood – not quite remembering when he'd been injured enough to have his mouth full of blood – he forced his unexpectedly sore body into moving and started to make his way towards Kabuto.

The man's eyes opened halfway just as he stood. His own eyes hardened. "It's over."

Kabuto smirked, some blood staining his teeth. "Tough words… from someone who's used up all his Chakra." Seeing his expression, the man spoke. "Yes, I can see it." The eyes looking at him reminded him far too much of Orochimaru's. "You should've never underestimated me."

He opened his mouth, but before even a sound came he realized that Kabuto's hand was glowing with blue, forming something that looked like a blade. And in a rather hopeless, bleak flash he realized that there was no way he'd be able to move on time.

Less than a blink later pain unlike anything he'd ever felt before hit his side.

Kabuto smirked icily at his expression. "That's… a little bit something I learned when observing Sasuke. A… handy little thing, isn't it?"

He opened his mouth once more, but before he could do more than wheeze everything turned completely, mercilessly black.

-

On the tree-branch it'd been occupying, the raven that'd been following Naruto gave a nearly terrified scream.

-

A wide, dangerous smirk spread across Kabuto's face as he got up slowly, approaching Naruto's body that'd fallen only a small distance away.

It was done. He should've never doubted his plan.

He was just about to reach Naruto when out of nowhere a kunai flew, landing sharply to the ground between them. "Guess again", a harsh female voice challenged in a nearly mocking tone.

Growling, he turned his gaze and snorted at what he found. "I should've known you'd still be a bother."

Stood on a nearby hill were none other than Karin.

* * *

TBC, or does it?

* * *

A/N: Oh man…! (gulps) I'm running now, because I've got a feeling that it's necessary for my safety. (screams and runs from thrown pointy things)

**PLEASE**, do leave a review to let me know what you thought about this chappy, and if you're curious to see the rest as well! (gives enormous pleading eyes – and some pribe cupcakes)

IN THE NEXT ONE: As one battle ends, two more completely different kind start out. Old friends come together as the story's inevitable end draws nearer.

**ONLY TWO MORE TO GO, FOLKS!**

Until next time, whichever story that shall be with! 'Hope I'll be seeing ya guys around.

Be good!

* * *

**sugargirl89**: Awww, I'm so glad to hear you feel that way! (beams)

Colossal thank yous for the review!  
I REALLY hope ya'll keep looking forward to the rest.


	8. Where the Time of Truth Arrives

A/N: Heh, another timely update – I'm on fire here! (chuckles and makes a victory dance)

BUT, before getting to the actual chapter… Awww, thank you so much for your fantastic reviews! (HUGGLES) You're fantastic for keeping up my inspiration, ya know? Thank you! (hugs again) As per usual, **responses to anonymous reviews** can be found from underneath the chappy.

Awkay, because I bet you'd all like to get on with the story already, let's rock! (gulps nervously) I REALLY hope ya'll all enjoy the ride!

* * *

**PHASE 8 – Where the Time of Truth Arrives**

* * *

Kabuto's eyes narrowed as he watched Karin walk closer. "I was hoping you'd already been dealt with."

She smiled sweetly, her eyes flashing dangerously. "Mah, underestimating people has always been your weakness. But now…" If he hadn't been so focused on her face, he might've noticed what her hands were doing. "I want to show you what I've learned during the past few years."

There was a bright flash of light that blinded him for several moments. When he was finally able to see again, he arched an eyebrow once noticing that he was in a cave of some sort. "Well, you've always had an interesting taste."  
Karin appeared from the darkness. "I'm glad you like this place, because you'll be spending a lot of time here soon enough."

He frowned, preparing himself for anything as she approached. "What are you talking about?"

Without saying a word Karin stood before him, and gave him a long, extremely cold kiss that made him shiver a little. She grinned cheekily while breaking apart. "Just like good old time's before Orochimaru's death, huh?" She wrinkled her nose. "You never were much of a kisser."

His frown from before deepened as a feeling he didn't like at all filled him. "What are you planning on doing to me?" he demanded in a tone that wasn't his.

Karin's eyes turned such he'd never seen before. "We're in the most deserted part of the known world, in the middle of arctic – I'm sure you feel the cold. No one is ever going to find you here."

His eyes narrowed, a sickening feeling filling him as he began to understand. "You…" For some reason he couldn't say anything else.

He knew he should've fought back, should've done something. But for some reason he could only watch as Karin walked from wall to a wall, setting explosives.

He scoffed, feeling even colder than before. "You wouldn't kill yourself for me, would you?"

She snorted. "Don't flatter yourself."

His eyes flashed as pieces clicked.

_A clone…!_

The real Karin was most likely miles away. And he…

Once more she smiled sweetly. "Goodnight, Kabuto." And before he could pull in another breath her hand moved and the explosives went off.

For a second nothing happened. But then – so quickly it made him blink – several parts of the cave came down in a flash, sealing absolutely all exits. Darkness fell, so thick that he couldn't even see the opposite wall.

And for the first time in his life Kabuto felt fear.

* * *

When Naruto first opened his eyes, he couldn't feel a thing. This surprised him, although he didn't manage to panic.

He'd been injured pretty badly. Shouldn't he have been in pain?

Quite soon, however, all questions faded away when he heard a very familiar voice. "So you're finally waking up. You sure took your time."

His breath getting caught in his throat, he turned his gaze quickly. But the sight he'd been hoping to meet from the bottom of his heart didn't disappear. Sasuke was sitting there right beside him, looking at him with eyes that showed a breathtaking amount of emotions.

He swallowed thickly, not daring to move. "How… can you be there?"

The raven shrugged. "It's a long story. And there's no time for such now."

All of a sudden there was a female voice that made him want to cringe. "_Naruto!_"

Sasuke's eyes were very serious as the man looked at him. "You need to focus hard, do you understand?"

He frowned, confused and almost scared. His heart started to race. "What the heck are you talking about?"

The unfamiliar and unwanted voice came again, cutting his frail string of thoughts. "_Naruto, damn it!_"

Sasuke's eyes hardened, and if he hadn't known better he could've sworn the man started to fade away. "You need to wake up now."

And then something hard hit his cheek. He frowned.

A slap? Why would Sasuke…?

That thought became cut when sharp, searing pain flowed right through his whole body, wiping away everything else. He moaned loudly, almost blacking out again.

_Shit…!_

Once more that irritating female-voice spoke, this time much closer. "Hey, hey, easy! You're injured, remember? I swear I'll kick your ass if you rip that wound open again after all the work I did."

Very slowly and with tremendous effort his eyelids inched halfway open. At first the sight was blurry, but eventually reason started to return – and he moaned again when facing Karin instead of Sasuke. "…'ske…" What the heck was going on? Where had she come from?

He could see how she grit her teeth. "Just hold still, will you? Kabuto injured you pretty badly, but you'll be fine if you stop trashing around and get rest. So I hope you don't mind that I gave you… a little bit something to help you relax."

He tried to fight the drowsiness with his all, but in the end whatever Karin had given him was stronger. The world around him faded away.

* * *

Evening was already falling, and a little boy named Kohru – who was often mistaken for a girl due to his long black hair and big, gentle ash-colored eyes – was just making his way home when something caught his attention.

Only steps away in a icy river floated a man with half-long brown hair on a ponytail, some blood much too visible in the water around him. Konoha's headband could clearly be seen around the man's head.

Kohru's eyes widened for a moment before he gathered his witts and dashed towards the man, hoping that he wasn't too late.

* * *

Taichi didn't know how long he'd been sleeping – for drugs or fatigue can only be guessed – when he became fully alerted as the room's door opened. He turned his head, and had to smile when seeing Kai.

His younger brother seemed uncharacteristically cautious when entering. "The medics… said that it's okay to come in. Are you feeling better?"

He nodded. "Yeah." He was drowsy and old injuries still hurt, but he was feeling better. And although the seal wouldn't stop bothering him, at least it'd eased its hold.

Kai nodded, seeming to relax slightly. "Good." It was odd to see his brother so quiet and careful, and for some reason he felt guilty.

He was tired, and Kai… was so many things that it was impossible to name them all. And that's why they decided that no more words were needed.

Not asking for a permission, Kai walked up to his bed and sneaked in, fitting well to lay becide him. Fighting the urge to smile, he ruffled his brother's hair a little before closing his eyes.

In a matter of moments they were both asleep, Taichi laying on his back and Kai on his side with his back to his older brother, holding the teen's hand.

-

About half an hour later Sakura was about to enter the room when she registered the sight inside. A slightly saddened tiny smile appeared to her face.

She'd have to tell Taichi about Kiko, and about the situation of his parents. But she decided that it could wait a little while.

There'd been enough bad news, pain and sadness already. Everyone deserved a break.

With that thought she closed the door and walked away silently, leaving the brothers alone.

* * *

_Ten Days Later_

* * *

Sasuke knew pushing himself was a very, very stupid thing to do in his current condition. But he wanted to get away from Konoha as fast as possible, for the sake of the life growing inside him.

He wasn't about to let Danzo get his hands on his daughter.

And so, after a journey that should've taken several weeks, he was standing before a rather deserted wooden building that'd suffered a lot from being unkept during the years passed.

It was a place he and Itachi had found once upon a time, when they'd been just kids on a little adventure. He hadn't visited it for a long time – he'd almost forgotten how shabby it'd gotten in the hands of time. But it was safe, and still standing. He was fine with it.

Suigetsu, who was stood beside him with Juugo, grinned. "Nice place."

He shrugged. "It'll do for a while." He glanced towards his companions. "You two, go inside and start working on the house. I'll be there in a bit." He needed some fresh air to recover from their mad dash and the uncomfortable sensations it'd aroused. Plus, he'd need to convince the baby into calming down before he'd be able to deal with cleaning up and other stuff.

Suigetsu frowned. "Are you sure?"

He a shot a near-glare at his former teammate. "Just go. I don't need a babysitter."

As soon as the two had left, he lifted his gaze towards the sky with a slight frown.

No matter how hard he fought against them, thoughts of Naruto and their sons filled his head.

* * *

Naruto's wound started to heal rapidly – after all, with or without Kyuubi's help he'd always been fast to recover. And that early morning, after several nights of dreaming about nothing but Sasuke, he decided that enough was enough.

Whatever the consequences, he'd go back to Konoha; Sasuke and their kids needed him. Besides, he needed to know what'd happened to Shikamaru.

Karin didn't appear all that pleased with his plan. "Are you insane?! You're injured! And do you have any idea how far from Konoha we are?"

He shook his head, his eyes flashing. "I don't care, okay? I just don't care." Then, ushered by adrenalin, he went on. "Have you ever loved anyone? Do you know what it feels like?"

At first Karin looked at him for several moments, as though silently asking 'Are you serious?'. Then she groaned and rolled her eyes. "Fine, go if you want to so badly. But I'm not responsible for anything that happens, understood? And I'm not following – I'm not your babysitter although I saved your ass once."

He scoffed, although it irritated his wound. "Wouldn't want it any other way." With that he gathered the very little stuff he had along, and waved with a tiny grin. "See you later. And… Thanks."

"Naruto." Karin's eyes were slightly harder than usual. "Just… Take care of yourself and Sasuke, understood?"

He nodded, stunned to silence, then left.

He traveled hopping from tree to a tree without much of stopping until evening started to fall. All the while he fought furiously against the urge of giving up under the stabbing pain on his side, until sounds made him halt.

Was someone… right there on the ground nearby?

He shook his head at himself in the end. He must've been imagining things.

Still deep in thought, he hopped on – only to notice that the branch he'd chosen wouldn't support his weight. He gave a yelp when he fell, landing rather roughly to the ground. He groaned, placing a hand to the wound that punished him for his recklessness.

_Great… This is just what I needed…_, he mused darkly.

It took a moment before he noticed the person not all that far away. In fact, he didn't become alerted until extremely familiar voice spoke. "Who's there?"

Slowly, afraid that he wouldn't find what he was praying for, he turned his gaze. But sure enough, less than a couple of moments away stood Sasuke – with his black hair and eyes, with the baby bump he could just see.

He closed his eyes, then opened them again. The sight remained exactly the same. And that realization finally gave him what it took to move.

Surprisingly enough Sasuke didn't struggle when he wrapped his arms as tightly as he dared to around the man, buried his face into the raven locks. It took a long moment before he managed to choke out. "This one… better not be a dream."

"No, this isn't a dream", Sasuke spoke in a seemingly flat tone. "Now let go, will you? You're crushing me."

Grinning somewhat sheepishly, he obeyed reluctantly. In a moment he frowned when realizing something. "How the heck can you be here? Danzo didn't let you out, did he?"

"He was going to execute me." It chilled him a little how easily Sasuke said that. "Suigetsu and Juugo got me out and hid me here."

Chills of rage and shock spinning inside him he opened his mouth, but just then a harsh twinge of pain erupted from the wound on his side. He winced despite all his best attempts.

Sasuke eyes immediately narrowed. "You've gotten yourself hurt, haven't you?" His careful ear managed to catch the hint of worry from the harsh tone. Before he could do a thing the raven moved his shirt and took a look at his patched up wound. The man growled. "You idiot…"

He tried to grin a little. "It's just a gash. Nothing to get all worked up over."

Sasuke gave him a loudly speaking look.

He opened his mouth, but never got the chance to say what he would've wanted to before steps interrupted him. "I heard noises. Is everything…?" Turning his gaze, he met Suigetsu's somewhat surprised face. "Holy damn…!"

"Tell me about it." With no further warning, Karin emerged from the woods with an unreadable expression. "I should've recognized the Chakra of you two."

Suigetsu's eyes were wide as the man stared at her. "How… How the hell…?" The rest came out mutedly.

She grinned. "What? Did you really think I'd be that easy to get rid of?"

For once, Suigetsu was speechless.

It was practically impossible to read the emotions flashing by the couple's faces as they examined each other with their gazes.

In the end Suigetsu cleared his throat, obviously fighting furiously against blushing and failing rather miserably. "Eh… So, why don't we go inside? It looks like there's a lot of catching up to do."

-

On its own branch, the raven that'd been guarding Naruto's journey gave a rather pleased cry before rising to its wings and flying away.

* * *

Entering Taichi's hospital room, Sakura frowned when seeing the look on the teen's face as he stood before a window. "Taichi? What's wrong?"

She could actually hear how he grit his teeth, not turning towards her. "I've… been trying to ask about Kiko, but… no one's telling me anything." He took a deep breath and balled his fists, fighting so very hard against the bout of emotions that it was painful to watch. "The last thing… I remember about that battle is her scream. She tried to protect me." He closed his eyes, falling a little paler than before. It took a long moment before he spoke again. "She's… gone, isn't she?"

Her mouth opened, but quite soon she realized that not a sound would come out. Her eyes stung a little as she watched the teen's obvious struggle.

She remembered that expression much too well; all those years ago Sasuke's had been identical when the raven had found out that Taichi's twin-sister had been lost.

He was much too young for a loss like this.

She swallowed thickly. If it would've been of any use, she would've embraced him. "I… I'm so sorry", she whispered.

Taichi didn't respond in any way, obviously not trusting his voice. The teen's eyes remained closed, and for a fleeting moment she was sure he'd pass out. But he stood firm for the sake of his pride, although it clearly took all his strength.

Realizing that there was nothing more she could do, she sighed inwardly. "I'll… give you a moment alone, okay?" With that she sneaked into the hallway, not bearing to watch the sight in the room anymore.

She didn't know how long she'd stood there, fighting to regain the control over her stomach and emotions, when she heard steps.

Opening her eyes she didn't remember closing, she blinked twice when seeing the arrival. "Hey Yamato. What are you doing here?"

Yamato's expression immediately alarmed her, made her feel cold all over. "The ANBU officials just went through the last of the papers in Sai's office. He'd left this to you and me – apparently he trusted us enough." He handed an envelope towards her.

With a frown she accepted the offering and opened it. What she found made her stomach flip around.

The envelope… was full of evidence against Danzo. Of the man having conspired with Orochimaru, traces of several illegal movements against the Uchiha-clan… Far more than enough for charges of treason.

And then, from the bottom of the pile, she found… love letters?

She frowned. "What are these about?"

"Apparently Danzo had two daughters." Yamato held a tiny pause, handing her another envelope. "Unlike the others behind the operation, he didn't trust Itachi as the one giving them information on the Uchihas. So he sent her to dig out as much as she possibly could in the role of a ANBU captain." He gave a tiny, sad smile. "It wasn't a part of his plans that she and Itachi would fall in love – nor was it a plan of his that she'd carry an Uchiha inside her."

Sakura got a very bad feeling all of a sudden. "What did he do?"

Instead of speaking, Yamato pointed towards one of the papers in her hands. She followed the gesture, and shivered. It was a document of an execution, with charges of treason.

She got choked up for a moment.

So Danzo had actually killed his own daughter – his own, pregnant daughter?

She shuddered, a sickening taste rising to her mouth. How could someone – _anyone_…?! "Shit…!" It took a moment before she managed to speak. "Did… Did Itachi ever know?"

Yamato shook his head. "No, because the execution was a secret only Danzo and the executionist knew about before this. Everyone thought she died on a mission – and after the massacre Danzo managed to make it look like it'd been Itachi's doing. Itachi, on the other hand, got this."

Feeling like she'd been intruding something private, she took the tiny piece of paper from him and red. Her eyes stung a little at the words, coming from a girl who'd been only fourteen.

'_We both have our duties. I've been avoiding mine too long – I have to do what's right for the sake of the village._

_Goodbye, 'Tachi. And whatever happens, never forget that I love you._'

"Danzo had always hated the Uchiha clan. After those events he declared a war – as far as he was concerned, it was because of them he lost his child." Yamato's eyes were dark. "Only days later the massacre took place, and as he saw it he had only two Uchihas left to take care of." (1)

Feeling chills once more, she waited for a moment before speaking. "What… about the other daughter?" Had she made it out of Danzo's clutches?

Yamato shook his head. "No one knows – apparently her mother took her away from Konoha. There isn't even any record that'd reveal her name. But it's highly likely that she's still alive."

Her blood boiled, almost as badly as her eyes. So revealing these truths was Sai's last favor to Konoha… It took several moments before she was composed enough to speak. "Does… Does the council know about this?"

"Yes. And they sent a team to look for Danzo."

She frowned, feeling even colder than before. "What do you mean?"

Yamato's eyes were solemn. "Apparently he's gone missing – he left when sensing that we were on his tails. No one knows where he is, but we think he's after Naruto and Sasuke."

Her eyes widened as she felt like someone had punched her. "We've gotta find them before he does. If he gets to them first…" She trailed off.

Taichi's voice made her shiver with startle. "Were you… talking about my parents? Are they in danger?"

Slowly, they turned towards him. Yamato nodded. "Yeah."

"In that case I'm going with you." The boy's eyes flashed in a way that cut off all objections. "I know I'm not fully recovered yet, but this is about my parents. I'm not going to just stand back and wait."

Appearing somewhat defeated, Yamato spoke before she could. "Do you have any idea where they could be?"

To both their surprise Taichi nodded. "_Papa_ and I were once traveling when a storm erupted. He took us to a safehouse of some sort." The boy's eyes flashed. "But we better hurry – that place is far."

* * *

Temari didn't remember when was the last time she'd slept properly. That, coupled with the fact that she was pregnant, was why she was dead tired while sitting by Shikamaru's bed, subconsciously holding his hand. But she couldn't sleep, couldn't let herself rest.

He'd lost one of his legs as its bones had been crushed, and lot of blood. According to the medics, it was a tiny miracle that he was hanging on. And she wasn't about to give him the chance to let go.

At first she didn't properly register it when she felt the tiniest bit of pressure on her hand. But as the pressure came again – much more persistently – she finally looked towards Shikamaru. All traces of sleepiness disappeared in an instant.

For the first time in days Shikamaru's eyes were open, and he looked at her with a slight smile.

* * *

The silence was extremely comfortable as Naruto sat on a bed in the safehouse of Sasuke's team, letting the raven rub something that smelled strange to his wound. "What's that stuff?" he asked in the end, breaking the silence.

Sasuke's eyes darkened a little. "Something I learned from Kabuto and Orochimaru. It should speed up the healing."

He smiled as the other started patching him up again. "Thanks."

"Hn", Sasuke commented while finishing his work. All of a sudden the raven's expression changed a little, and he could just see how badly the man would've wanted to touch his stomach.

"Is she kicking?" he asked immediately, eager to feel it.

Sasuke frowned, not looking towards him. "Not… exactly. It's never moved this way before – I think…" The man appeared almost embarrassed. "I think its having hiccups."

Unable to resist the huge smile as warmth filled him, he got up and held out a hand for Sasuke. "C'mon", he ordered when the man wouldn't move. "I think I know what helps."  
-

Feeling stupid, Sasuke eventually took Naruto's hand and didn't bother fighting back when the blond guided him to lay on the bed.

He frowned when the other man moved his shirt, revealing his stomach and placing a hand to the naked skin. He wasn't sure what to call the feelings inside him when the blond's hands started to make tender circling motions on his belly. "What the hell are you doing?"

Naruto chuckled at his expression. "Stop looking like that – I'm not going to hurt you or anything. Let me help you, 'k?"

Feeling far more content than he probably should've, he relaxed while Naruto's gentle motions continued. Inside him the baby also calmed down, as though listening when the blond started to hum softly.

He didn't know how long they'd remained like that until Naruto stopped his motions all of a sudden. He watched with curiosity as the blond bent down, eventually giving his stomach a tiny kiss that made both him and the baby shiver a little.

Noticing his reactions, Naruto grinned. "You really like this, don't you?"

He gave something that was supposed to be a glare. "Shut up."

Naruto did shut up with another grin, and kissed first his stomach, then his lips. The blond was already about to pull away when he surprised even himself with grabbing a hold of the man's head and pulling him closer again. The kiss was soft and inquiring, almost cautious, but at the moment he didn't care.

For some stupid reason he wanted – needed, he almost dared to admit in his head – this.

Naruto's hand brushed his cheek before the blond pulled away, this time successfully. Licking his lips, the man gave him an inquisitive look. "What was that about?"

He shrugged. How the hell was he supposed to know? "Hn."

Almost as though understanding something he didn't just yet, Naruto coaxed him to sit and pulled him close to a nearly desperate hold. He couldn't tell if the blond was trembling or if it was his imagination.

He hated the fact that such a sappy thought came from him, but he couldn't help feeling that just then, he was in the right place.

That night they didn't sleep a lot, nor did they do anything else in particular. Somehow the little hours felt far too short as they lay there, breathing in each other's scent and enjoying the warmth.

* * *

_Twelve Days Later_

* * *

Sasuke frowned as he opened his eyes that morning, not entirely sure what'd woken him up. Scowling at the painful motions, he subconsciously brought a hand to where the baby was kicking.

After waking up for a moment and the baby's movements subsiding, he turned his gaze to discover that Naruto was still asleep.

Not sure why he felt the urge to do so – why he wanted to disturb the blond's rest – he outrstretched his hand without thinking and poked the man's forehead with two fingers.

Naruto wrinkled his nose. It took a long moment before the blond opened his eyes a little and blinked at him. "'s that for?" Some alertness appeared to the other's blue eyes. "The baby…?"

He shook his head. "It's not time yet, dope." Feeling very stupid all of a sudden, he shifted so that he wasn't facing Naruto and frowned.

The hormones were screwing him up completely.

He shivered a little with surprise when Naruto shifted, placing a kiss to his cheek and wrapping a pair of arms around him. "It's not like it'd mind waking up this way, you know?"

"Hmmh", he commented, not feeling up to words at the moment.

The situation could've been entirely pleasant, if an intense wave of nausea hadn't washed over him just then. That surprised him a little; it was weeks from the last pout of nausea.

Naruto seemed even more alarmed. "Are you feeling sick?"

In some other situation he might've snorted, but at the moment he focused on trying to control his swaying stomach. "It's just morning sickness, 'k?" Realizing that the nausea wasn't going anywhere, he fought his way out of he bed – cursing how huge his belly had become in a terrifyingly short amount of time – and started to hurry towards the bathroom. "I've gotta go", was all he managed.

It took much longer than he'd expected to make it to the bathroom, and he was barely on time to do it before throwing up loudly, emptying everything Naruto had managed to threaten him into consuming.

He didn't know how long he'd been there – something as simple as breathing without throwing up again taking all of focus – until something claimed his attention.

There was a hellish surge of pain that almost made him scream, followed by something moist and warm that traveled down his legs and stained the floor. Looking down slowly – wincing and gasping a little under another wave of pain – he found a mixture of blood and another clear, wet substance.

Chills of dread traveled through him, and his eyes widened ever so slightly.

The baby… It was coming already – and it was coming _fast_.

* * *

As Naruto walked up to the house's tiny kitchen at around the same time, he blinked twice with surprise when finding Karin preparing some sort of a breakfast. "Uh-huh", was all he managed.

She gave him a rather nasty look. "What? You've never seen a woman cook before?"

"Not you", he stated bluntly.

She opened her mouth, but before a sound came her expression changed to a troubled one.

He frowned, instantly alarmed. "What?"

She looked at him with apparent unease. "Someone's approaching, fast."

That was all it took. Before Karin could open her mouth he was out of the building – and face to face with Danzo.

Heat coursed through him, and he released a nearly animalistic sound. "What the hell do you want?"

The older man's eyes flashed. "Show me to Sasuke, and you won't have to get hurt."

His eyes narrowed, and he prepared himself for a fight with a deep breath. "I'm not going to let you lay a finger on him, you piece of shit."

Danzo was obviously just about to attack him until something interrupted the man. Before neither of them realized what was happening something – or someone – jumped on Danzo, taking him down with such force that made the man groan.

Naruto felt his eyes widen when he recognized the arrival. "Taichi…?"

Taichi's eyes were glowing red as the teen prepared himself for another strike, never moving his hand from the older man's throat. "Leave my parents alone!"

Danzo also prepared for a fight, until Karin's voice made him still. "Leave the kid alone. Can't you see he's injured?"

Very slowly, the man's gaze turned. Usually hard visible eye widened when meeting her face. "You… look just like…", he choked out.

Karin gave him a wry smile, her eyes sharpening. "Looks like this just became a family matter – _father_."

* * *

TBC, for a one more chapter

* * *

1) SPOILERS TO THOSE WHO HAVEN'T WATCHED THE LATEST EPISODES! I just watched the most recent Naruto-episodes, and with the flashbacks of Itachi and Sasuke got inspired to write in this. Especially the part were Itachi was looking at that letter/note…; yeah, it's most definitely the one Shisui left, but it could've been something like this as well. After all, the manga revealed that Itachi had a lover… (grins) Couple that to Itachi's sudden outburst on his duties and my twisted head, and you get this. (chuckles)

* * *

A/N: Oh crap… (winces) After THAT ending, I'm dead, aren't I? (starts running and screaming)

Awkay, because I'm in a bit of a hurry and I should be doing something else entirely right now, I'm tuning out. **PLEASE**, do leave a review – it'd seriously give me some extra-kick for writing the final chapter! (ME, hinting something?! Noooo…!) (gives her best innocent face – and fails)

IN THE NEXT (and, oh man, last!) (sniffs) ONE: As the story finally ends, a one more tragedy shakes the lives of several people. But even after all the pain and losses The Will of Fire goes on as a breeze of new life blows.

**THE NEXT ONE'S THE LAST ONE, FOLKS, AND CALLED** 'Where the Will of Fire Goes On'**!**

Until next time, folks – I really hope ya'll all stick around for that one!

Peace out!

* * *

**sugargirl89**: Yeah, Karin's back. We'll see just what she's about to do… (quirks an eyebrow) 'Glad to hear you were surprised by that bit! (grins) Ah, as to where she's been…! It may be revealed in the last chapters. If it isn't, remind me to tell you!

Humongous thank yous for the review!

I really hope ya'll stay tuned for the last bits.


	9. Where the Will of Fire Goes On

A/N: (chuckles) I can't believe it – another timely update! (grins) And, sadly, the final chapter. (starts sobbing)

BUT, before letting you know how this ends… Thank you from the bottom of my heart for those review! (hugs) They DO mean A LOT, so thank you. (hugs again) As per usual, **responses to anonymous reviews** can be found from underneath the chappy.

Awkay, because I bet you're already sizzling to get on… Let's go! (gulps) I really hope ya'll enjoy the ride.

* * *

PHASE 9 – Where the Will of Fire Goes On

* * *

Karin looked back with icy eyes as Danzo stared at her with obvious disbelief. For a while time stood frozen. And then, in a blink, it resumed.

Giving a loud hiss, Danzo prepared to attack Taichi. "You little shit…!"

Naruto already moved, but Taichi was faster. For some reason they all shuddered a little when Sharingan turned his eyes red and he revealed a threatening row of teeth. "I told you… to leave my family alone."

What Danzo saw, is anybody's guess. But she'd never heard anyone scream the way the man did just then.

Once it was over, Taichi's eyes returned to normal and he gasped a little, using such a technique clearly too much for him in his current condition. At that moment she decided to move.

She laid a hand to the teen's shoulder to get his attention. "Kid, step back. There's something I've gotta do."

With apparent reluctance, Taichi obeyed.

Danzo's eyes widened and filled with terror as she kneeled beside him. "I'm… I'm your father. Please, don't do this!"

"You killed her." Her tone was flat, yet at the same time so cold that it bid to bone. "And many other people, no doubt. You've caused so much pain and misery on everyone that I don't think you even understand it all. And now, you're begging for mercy?"

He swallowed thickly. For one reason or another, he locked a rather intense gaze to her flaming eyes. "You… have my eyes."

She snorted. "I'm your daughter. What else did you expect?" She then kneeled down to his level, getting far more pleasure than she'd expected from the look of terror in his visible eye. "You thought Sharingan was bad? Let me introduce you to this."

Danzo's eye widened in an instant.

It always hurt. Activating this particular bloodline limit was a slow, painful process, but it was worth it. She could feel each and every change when her eyes turned completely blue, like a pair of sapphires. And then it began.

At first Danzo appeared confused, but then he understood much too clearly as she broke through the layers of his mind.

-

Danzo gasped a little and frowned when finding himself from an unfamiliar place.

'_This is a teleportation technique, of sort. Only on this one, you don't have any control. It takes your mind, and carries you wherever I want it to._'

At first he didn't quite understand. But then he saw _her_. His older daughter. His flesh and blood. Only moments before she'd be executed.

Then she lifted her gaze, looking at him with tear- and rage-filled eyes that were so much like his it hurt. It was at that moment he understood what hatred looked like. And it hurt more than anything he'd ever experienced before.

-

In the real world, Karin watched with far more pleasure than she'd expected how Danzo's head became bowed and he released an utterly pained moan.

"What the heck did you do to him?" Naruto asked, not sounding exactly appalled.

She shrugged, her eyes returning to normal. "I just sent him to a little journey, that's all."

"Whatever." Suigetsu gave her a look. "Just don't use that on me."

She arched a suggestive eyebrow.

Just then they all tensed up when completely without a warning, altogether six ANBU-ninjas appeared to the opening, starting to approach. Karin found herself gulping.

_Shit…_

Naruto and Taichi both stepped forth, Taichi's Sharingan activated.

To all their stun, the leader of the squad shook his head. "We didn't come for you and your family, Hokage-sama." The man nodded towards Danzo, appearing surprised. "We… came to arrest him."

-

Naruto felt a little dizzy while staring how ANBU restrained Danzo.

Was it… really over? Was the nightmare finally over?

Then, very slowly, he turned his gaze to his son, who met his eyes. Warmth rushed through his whole being.

For such a long time he'd been waiting, fearing the worst and fighting to convince himself that everything would turn out alright. And now…

Taichi was finally there, right before his eyes, alive and well.

As that realization sunk in, he lost all control over himself. Ignoring all their audience, he walked up to Taichi and wrapped his arms as tightly as he could around his son. For the first time since childhood the teen didn't fight back.

For some brief moments everything was perfect in the world.

* * *

Sasuke had lost track on how long he'd been kneeled in the bathroom, fighting furiously to stay conscious through the mind-numbing surges of pain.

Just when one contraction had passed another one appeared, and he used all his willpower to keep a scream from coming. Absolutely everything in his body shook as he _felt_ the time of the actual birth approaching.

He'd done this twice before – he knew much too well what was to come. And all of a sudden, no matter how hard he tried to rid the thought, he was nearly scared.

The baby could _not_ come out now!  
Several more moments passed by without him being able to move from the surges of agony until there was suddenly a voice behind him. "Sasuke?" A hand was laid to his shoulder. "Sasuke, what's going on?"

He never had the time to find out who'd spoken – who dared to touch him. Because just then something that felt a lot like electricity traveled through him, and everything turned to black.

-

The next voices he heard came through a blur. Someone was carrying him, but surprisingly enough the realization didn't bother him.

"What the hell…?!"

"Suigetsu, make damn sure Taichi stays outside – he doesn't need to see this!"

"Why isn't he waking up?" The voice carried a panicked edge, rumbled inside the chest he was leaning against.

"Naruto, calm down!" This voice was clipped, obviously held back a lot. "The last thing I need is you panicking, understood? Either you stay calm or leave."

He was laid down softly, carefully, and suddenly he felt much colder than before. It was around then he finally managed to force his stubborn eyelids into inching. Through some haze he found Naruto and Sakura looking at him. The blond immediately smiled radiantly when realizing that he was awake. "Hey, 'bout time you join us!"

He tried to speak – what, he'd never know – but just then a hellish surge of pain cut him short and he groaned, squeezing his eyes tightly shut.

_Damn it…!_

"Sasuke, listen to me." Although Sakura didn't act or sound panicked, her eyes radiated nearly animalistic terror. And slowly he started to understand just how badly wrong things were. "You… You need to push, okay? You need to do this – for your sake and the baby's! Don't you dare pass out on me again!"

Hard as he fought, the next surge of agony almost did pull him under – until he felt something that couldn't possibly be real. A feather-light, cool touch on his shoulder.

The voice… Was it Itachi's? '_Only a little more, Sasuke. Hold on a little bit longer._'

-

Sasuke's eyes drooped until they flew fully open once more with a sharp, ragged gasp. And then came the scream that tore the hearts of everyone listening.

Sakura had never felt as helpless in her entire life as she did then, watching how one of her best and dearest friends struggled with all his might to pull himself together, to gather strength for this one more battle.

Then she made the mistake of looking towards Naruto. She'd never seen the kind of pain she did then in those tear-filled blue eyes. The blond's hand squeezed Sasuke's tightly, desperately. "C'mon, Sasuke – you can do this! You can't…!" The voice faded away as the blond lost the little breath he'd had.

Just then Sasuke's gaze moved to her, the onyx eyes filled with something she'd never seen in them before.

And all of a sudden she understood, so clearly it hurt.

She swallowed laboriously before looking towards Naruto. "Look, I… I need more space, alright? And… I don't think you want to be here to see this." The man's lips opened for objections, but she went on. "For Sasuke's sake, okay? I'll come and get you as soon as this is over, I promise."

Each and every move radiating reluctance, Naruto nodded stiffly, then kissed and caressed Sasuke's forehead. "Hang in there, okay? It's almost over."

Although it took much more than he seemed able to waste, Sasuke nodded. The air was thick with something that made Sakura's throat contrict as Naruto's hand brushed Sasuke's – almost holding on – and the raven's gaze followed the blond as the man went.

She didn't manage to speak until the door was closed. All of a sudden the stench of blood lingering heavily in the room was so thick it seemed to suffocate her. "Sasuke… You're bleeding badly, okay? I… I don't know…" She had to gather herself. "The baby… She's almost out. You need to push."

-

Sasuke felt like he'd been torn to shreds – the pain was unlike anything he'd ever felt before, much worse than the one he'd experienced when giving birth twice before. For a moment he could've sworn he felt something rupture.

But even that didn't prepare him for the final ordeal.

The searing pain that seemed to flood through his whole being numbed his mind and he screamed, no matter how hard he tried to hold it back.

He had absolutely no idea how long the pure agony had lasted until a sound suddenly caught all his attention.

It was frail, but he heard it anyway. The baby… It was crying. It was over.

"Sasuke? Sasuke, keep your eyes open!"

He tried to – tried furiously – but he just didn't have the strength. And little by little the world around him faded away.

* * *

To Naruto, the wait seemed to take forever. He wasn't sure which one was worse – the part where he'd been able to do nothing but listen to Sasuke's screams, or this new, eerie silence.

Then Sakura emerged from the room. Her expression immediately told him that something was badly wrong.

He swallowed thickly, not daring to move an inch. His whole body became ice-cold. "What… What's going on?"

He could actually see how hard Sakura fought tears when looking at him. "The baby-girl's alright, although she's very tiny and needs careful observation for a while."

He frowned, feeling terribly cold. "Then what's…?" And at that moment he clicked, so that it felt like a hit of some sort. "No…!"

At the moment, the two tears that escaped from Sakura's hold seemed unrealistically big. That torn look also didn't belong to her face. "Naruto… Sasuke's still bleeding – I think he got a lot of internal damage during the childbirth." She emitted a choked sound. "And I… I can't fix it. There's nothing I can do about it."

At first he was too much in a shock to even beging to understand. Then it all came crashing down on him, with such force that he was almost sure it'd crush him. But against all odds he kept breathing, icy-blood was still running through him.

This was no nightmare. And Sakura wasn't fooling around.

Several precious moments slipped by without him being able to do anything but breathe. When he finally looked towards Sakura, he felt cold and hollow. "Is he…" He cleared his throat, fighting to hold himself together. "Is he awake?"

Sakura nodded. She sucked in a gulp of air. "You… should go in."

He didn't remember anything about the few following moments. The next thing he knew, he was stood in the room from which Sakura had emerged. The sight he met stung his chest much worse than anything else he'd experienced.

Their little girl was in Sasuke's arms. The man's eyes were half-lidded as the raven stroked the baby's cheek, the slightest of movements visibly taking absolutely all the man hand. Never before had he seen the kind of a expression he then spottede on the Uchiha's face. The little girl squealed and took a firm, desperate hold on Sasuke's finger, looking directly to her _papa_'s eyes.

Every single mucle on his face stiffening, Sasuke leaned down a little and whispered something to the little girl's ear. She seemed confused for a tiny moment, then emitted a surprisingly loud sound and cling to him even more tightly.

And Naruto was almost sure that he'd break down to tears.

Albeit much more feeble than usual, Sasuke's voice startled him. "I… can't hold her anymore." Looking at the raven's eyes, he saw exactly how hard it was to say those words.

He nodded, too choked up for words, and took their little girl to his shaking arms. She started crying hysterically as soon as she was taken from her _papa_, fighting his hold the best as she could.

Almost like she'd also known…

Shaking away that thought, he lay her to the tiny makeshift bed Sakura had prepared and tried to soothe her with a tender caress, then returned hurriedly to Sasuke. The man's onyx eyes were much darker than usual as they first looked at their daughter, then met his gaze. It took a moment before the man had gathered his strength for talking. "Don't you dare…"

He shook his head, his eyes stinging. He wouldn't be able to promise this.

Without saying a word – unable to speak – he lay down slowly, fearing that any motion could trigger something he wouldn't be able to stop. He froze in the middle of movement when a barely audible groan of pain escaped Sasuke. "I… didn't hurt you, did I?"

Sasuke shook his head, gritting teeth so hard it showed.

Still uncertain, he shifted so that he could pull Sasuke carefully to his chest. Somehow, it calmed him down to feel Sasuke's heartbeat against his, although it was very frail.

Sasuke was very still at first, and his throat contricted for a moment before the raven moved, placing one hand to cover his.

At that moment tears broke from his hold, and he released a pitiable whimpering sound.

Sasuke gave him a look that most likely didn't hide as much as the man would've wanted. "Naruto…" For one reason or another the rest faded away.

It took a long moment before he managed to speak. "Does it… Does it hurt?"

Sasuke looked away, eyes drooping for a moment. "A little. But… It's getting numb."

He nodded slightly, not really knowing which one of the surges inside him was stronger. He wasn't sure which one of them was shaking – maybe it was both of them.

"Stop crying already." The command, no matter how soft, made him shudder a little with surprise. Most likely in the lack of strength to keep it up, Sasuke's head fell to rest against him. He felt the hungry breath the other pulled in. "Everything's gonna work out."

His eyes narrowed, and all of a sudden there was a bout of rage. "How the hell can you say that?!" he snapped in a choked tone.

"Trust me", was Sasuke's barely audible response. "I know you."

He buried his face into the raven's shoulder, feeling so utterly helpless that it seemed to crush his chest. "I don't want to… to…" He sobbed, feeling like a five-year-old. His eyes full of despair, he looked at the Uchiha. "I… I want you there when they grow up. I want you by my side."

At that moment, most likely stunning them both, Sasuke smiled a little. That, despite a single, barely noticeable tear slid down the man's cheek. "Yeah… It would've been nice."

He sobbed again, loudly, his eyes stinging and his throat contricting until he could barely breathe. He opened his mouth, but all of a sudden nothing came out. As it was he could only pull Sasuke closer and press a long, lingering kiss to the other's forehead.

Silence filled the room, like everything necessary had now been said.

-

His consciousness slipping little by little, Sasuke found his mind wandering. Suddenly stupid, tiny pieces of memories filled his whole mind.

Little moments, like his and Naruto's first kiss. How he'd kneeled beside Naruto's unconscious form before heading for Orochimaru, how – for just a moment – he would've wanted to lean down. Or like how they'd rested naked in their bed, securely in each other's arms, for the entire first night they spent in their first actual house.

Tiny things he'd never paid the slightest bit of attention to until now. How Naruto had trembled when he slumped into the blond's arms after taking Haku's hit. How Naruto's eyes had looked when they'd met for the first time in almost three years. How the forest-floor had felt under his back when they'd had sex for the first time. How Naruto wrinkled his nose just a little bit every single time they kissed.

And, of course, he remembered their children. How they'd felt when he'd first held them in his arms. Flashes of sleepless nights passed by, along with first words. He remembered the fear he was forced to confess having felt when Taichi headed for his first mission. He remembered exactly what Kai's first grin had looked like.

All those little things… They'd disappear with him, wouldn't they?

Suddenly he felt angry. There were so many things he would've wanted to see and do. His daughter would never even know him.

But then, this strangest peace filled him.

He hadn't had long, but… Maybe it was enough. He'd had three children. He'd been loved. And no one would be able to take that away. Considering how many years he'd thrown away and wasted, that sounded pretty comforting. And Naruto and their children… They were strong – they'd make it just fine. He'd make sure they did.

Those thoughts soothed him enough to give him rest.

-

Naruto was so deep in thought that he was mildly startled when Sasuke moved slightly. He glanced worriedly towards the other's face, but couldn't find any traces of discomfort. "Are you in pain?"

Sasuke sighed, as though he'd been extremely exhausted, then gave him a one more long look before closing his eyes. And at that moment something disappeared.

"Sasuke?" He'd never felt as cold as he did just then, realizing how terrifyingly still the body against his was. His eyes lit into a burning the kind he'd never felt before as he held on with absolutely all there was in him. "Sasuke, don't you dare…!"

For a much too short, frail moment he felt how Sasuke's hand moved behind his back, as though trying hold on. But in a blink of an eye it was all over.

There was a quiet, sigh-like breath until absolutely every single one of Sasuke's muscles went limp. In a matter of seconds the frail, unsteady beat he'd been clinging to with all his hope disappeared like it'd never even been there.

For this tiny, unbearably painful moment his heart stopped as well. But then, just as mercilessly, it came to life once more.

And at that moment he screamed at the top of his lungs.

* * *

Taichi wasn't stupid. And when he realized that neither his dad or Sakura was coming out of the house, he _knew_ something was wrong. Suigetsu opened his mouth when he passed by, but in the end made no attempt to stop him.

The second he found Sakura – who stood outside one room, leaning heavily against the wall and trembling, face buried to her hands – his stomach turned upside down. Sensing his presence, Sakura looked up with moist, bloodshot eyes and their gazes met. Nothing even needed to be said.

Feeling like he'd been in somebody else's body, he walked up to the door directly in front of him and opened it. What he found made something inside him break.

At first the stench of blood struck him so hard that he couldn't focus on anything else. But then he saw his dad. His dad – who _never_ cried – shaking badly and sobbing soundlessly with his head buried to his _papa_'s shoulder. There was a far too relaxed, all but serene look on his _papa_'s much too pale face. And the man… He wasn't breathing; judging by bluish lips hadn't been breathing for a while.

For several long moments he simply stared, as though not quite willing to believe the sight. And then everything shut down.

He didn't know what he was doing or where he was going as he spun around and started to march on, moist and stinging warmth blinding his eyes. But he did know, that for the upcoming almost twenty-four hours he didn't manage to utter a sound.

* * *

_One Day Later_

* * *

For rather obvious reasons, the two ANBU-ninjas who knew teleportation had to take Sasuke's body to Konoha fast; the journey couldn't take days. As soon as they arrived, rumors began to spread. And of course Kai had to hear them.

That late evening, Iruka had a much too clear guess of what was going on when he was called to the village's morgue; a kid was out of control and they'd tried every trick in the book, they said. Nothing, however, could've quite prepared him for the sight he found.

Kai was sitting in the cold room, sobbing rather loudly and shaking so badly that he barely stayed on his seat. Both of the child's hands clutched desperately to one of his _papa_'s.

He froze, not knowing what to do or say. How could any words do?

After several moments Kai lifted his still teary gaze to see him, and sobbed. "P-Please, don't make me leave. Please." The boy's lip quivered, and he bit it hard. "I… I don't want to leave _papa_ all alone. So please…"

At that moment, he finally accepted that no words would indeed do. And so he settled with actions instead.

With long, heavy steps and fighting his own emotions all the way, he walked up to Kai and pulled the child into a tight embrace. At first the child stiffened, but then relaxed slowly and leaned against his most likely welcomed warmth.

That was how they remained for hours, guarding Sasuke's dreamless sleep.

* * *

_Eleven Days Later_

* * *

That evening, or almost night, Naruto had his face buried to his hands as he sat on the kitchen floor.

It was only hours from Sasuke's funeral, which had taken place as soon as he, Taichi and the others had made it to Konoha. It'd been a torturously long event, of which he most likely wouldn't remember a thing later. After that he and the boys had come to a home that didn't feel like such without Sasuke, where everything reminded of what they'd lost. Now the boys were finally at least trying to sleep; they were exhausted and distraught.

And he… He didn't even know what he was anymore. Exhausted, at least, and he didn't have a clue how he'd fair when the baby-girl would come home – when he'd have a baby and two grieving boys in his hands. And he was still waiting for someone to wake him up from this nightmare.

"Naruto?" Sakura's voice, albeit tentative, startled him. Looking up, he found the woman looking at him with sad, bloodshot eyes. She still hadn't changed her funeral clothes. "I thought I should come and check up on you. The door… was open."

He tried to smile, and failed miserably. "I'm okay. I just…" He looked away, and took a deep breath. The last thing he wanted was to cry in front of her. "I just need a moment alone."

"Okay." Her soft tone told she understood, and it gave him some ease of mind. She then started going through her pocket. "Before I go… There's something… Something Sasuke would've wanted you to have."  
He looked up, and frowned when seeing her handing an envelope towards him. "What's that?"

She shrugged. "I wouldn't know. But I think you should find out."

Nodding, he finally accepted the offering. A lump appeared to his throat when he noticed Sasuke's familiar handwriting on the envelope.

'_To Naruto_'

Sakura gave him a slightly saddened, encouraging smile through almost spilling tears. "Try to hang in there, okay? The first night… It's the hardest part." With that she left, obviously knowing he needed the space.

He didn't know how long he sat there, staring at the envelope until he finally gained the courage to open it.

* * *

'_I wouldn't want to leave you. It's ironic, really. For a huge part of my life I've been running around. And now that I've found something worth holding on to, I have to go._'

* * *

_Seven Years Later_

* * *

'_But I'm not afraid to leave you, because I have a feeling that you'll make it through somehow, no matter how hard it is._'

* * *

It was amazing how long seven years could feel, Naruto mused as he stood in the shadows of trees by a field where several children – including his daughter Shinju, Sakura's son Yuki and Shikamaru's son Tohru – were playing.

Seven years without Sasuke.

Seven years of trying to parent their children alone while leading the village and coping with the irreplaceable loss.

Looking towards Shinju, who was chuckling happily, he felt a twinge when realizing just how much like Sasuke she looked with her onyx eyes and long hair of the same color. It hurt him a lot that she'd never get to know her _papa_ who'd fought so very hard to get her into this world, who would've without a doubt loved her a lot. No matter how many stories he told her, nothing would ever fully explain Sasuke.

Looking towards the sky, he found himself wondering if Sasuke was up there somewhere, watching him. He would've wanted to ask if the Uchiha was proud of him.

_I've really tried, you know?_, he wanted to say. _I've really tried to go on, and take good care of them. I hope you know that._

"Hey Naruto." Sakura's voice managed to startle him a little. She stood beside him, her eyes on the children. Somehow he had a feeling that she was hurting just a little bit when looking at Yuki; the boy was almost an exact replica of Sai. "They seem to be having fun."

"Yeah." He then breathed in deep. "So… The ceremony's tonight."

Sakura smiled wryly. "It never gets easier."

Every year on this day, Konoha had a little candle-festival, where they paid their respects to all those beloved they'd lost. As good as it felt to do as much, it also hurt like hell.

Naruto was just about to respond when he noticed something, and managed to smile just a little bit.

Not far away, Taichi – who'd just come back from a long mission – was approaching with Kai. They weren't talking much, but anyone could see how their steps were in perfect sync and how comfortable they were around each other. If possible, Sasuke's death had made those two even closer; what was left of the family had sought support from each other.

Sakura gave him a wave. "I've gotta go. See you tomorrow."

He nodded.

As the boys walked up to him, he immediately arched an eyebrow at Taichi. "So…?"

The boy seemed to blush just a little. "It… was confirmed today. Takara's pregnant."

He grinned, although a little tinge of sadness flowed through. His son was becoming a father – so life was bound to go on… Without much of a thought, he pulled the already grown man into a hug. "Congrats! Man, I can't wait to see the little princes!"

"Prince." This time, even Taichi grinned a little. "Takara thinks it's a boy."  
Just then Shinju rushed over to them with a bright smile, and immediately rushed over to her brothers. "Tai! You came for the ceremony!"

A sudden, somewhat dark silence filled them. That evening, it was time to head towards the river again.

Kai, however, managed to grin at his sister while lifting her for a piggy back ride. "What do you think, could you sing that song you learned from school while we walk?"

She nodded eagerly, and started to sing in the most beautiful voice.

And somehow, her voice was enough to fill the silence as they went.

* * *

'_As for our children? Look after them well, make sure they don't repeat the mistakes of past. And don't worry. If anyone can help them grow up, it's you._'

* * *

When walking up to her son, Sakura was immediately sorrounded by excited kids. "You're one of the Sannin, right?" one, or perhaps several, of them demanded. "Yuki told us about you – please tell us about your adventures!"

She smiled a little. It was still amazing to think that she, Naruto and Sasuke were now considered the Great Sannin. Once again history was written forward.

All of a sudden she could've sworn she felt a hand on her shoulder. "What… if I told you a different story this time?" Looking at their son, she could still see Sai's face. "A tale of Team Seven."

* * *

'_You will make it just fine as long as you listen to your heart. After all, that's what made you a Hokage. That's what's kept you going._'

* * *

At around the same time, before anyone else would show up with their candles, Neji stood by the river of Konoha, fighting with his all to hold on to the little composure he had. His motions were stiff as he knelt down, carefully placing a candle to the water. His eyes weren't quite as expressionless as he would've wanted them to be as he watched the item float away. Had he looked, he might've noticed that his hands were shaking.

His private moment was suddenly interrupted by Temari's voice. "You're saying goodbye to him, aren't you?" Turning his head, he saw her arched eyebrow. "Why did you come this early?"

He shrugged, and fought to straighten his form. "I have my reasons." He glanced towards her, trying to keep his emotions in check. "Why did you?"

"I have my reasons."

"Hn." With that, he started to walk away.

He'd almost made it, until Temari's voice made him halt. "There's something you should know. I think it's time." Turning towards her, he saw her nodding to somewhere on his right. "Take a look."

He frowned, then did as ordered. There on a swing, sat a about six-years-old boy with wild, shortcut red hair. And then his heart skipped a beat. The child… had his eyes.

Pulling in a hasty breath, he frowned and looked towards Temari. "What is this – some kind of a joke?"

Temari gave him a loudly speaking look. "No. What part don't you understand?" She looked towards the child. "He was Gaara's. And he's yours, too."

Silence lingered heavily between them as they kept looking at the child. And then he found himself approaching.

* * *

'_It's not often we get a second chance in life, but you gave me one without even questioning. Don't let that courage fade away._'

* * *

Although there was four of them stood by the same river late that evening, it was almost unearthly silent.

Naruto always dreaded this day, no matter how beautiful its purpose was. Because once again it was time to remember everyone he'd lost.

Kai standing beside him with a grim expression, he knelt down and sent several candles to their way.

One for the sake of his parents, whom he'd never get to know.

One for Tsunade, who'd died recently. He really missed her, even her lectures.

One for Jiraiya, who's book – the one of Naruto – was under his pillow every single night.

One for Kakashi, who'd never be forgotten.

One for Sai, who he missed much more than he'd known to expect.

One for Gaara. He still couldn't believe that the redhead would never come to Konoha again.

And then, the hardest of all.

He swallowed thickly while lighting a candle for Sasuke, and watching how the flame grew with surprising speed. It took a long moment before before he dared to try the absolutely hardest part, and put the candle into the river with a surprisingly steady hand. He couldn't help feeling a sharp twinge inside when watching how the candle disappeared.

It felt too much like having Sasuke die in his arms all over again.

Forcing that thought out of his head, he looked towards where Taichi was completing his own little ceremony. Even more than his own loss, it ached him to watch his son dealing with his own.

Taichi already had two candles to light up – one for Kiko, and one for his father. And although his son never shed a tear in front of anyone – there was just so much Sasuke in him – he could tell that the young man was barely fairing.

Seeing Taichi bow his head so that bangs fell to shield his face he looked away, not wanting to intrude something private. When he looked again, his son was getting up slowly. For a moment their eyes met, radiating the exact same emotions.

Some moments later he was reminded of the rest of the world when Kai stepped up to stand between him and Taichi, and Shinju wrapped her arms around him. None of them had the will to say a word.

Watching his children – his _and_ Sasuke's children – Naruto found himself sighing soundlessly. Once again, their family had survived, although it wasn't whole anymore.

And somehow, that thought gave him hope.

* * *

'_Remember, but don't cling to us who are already gone. There's so much living you have left to cherish._'

* * *

Not all that far away, Temari's head was so filled with millions of things that she shivered a little when hearing two people approaching. "Are you sure you remembered the candle?" Shikamaru inquired in a somewhat unfamiliar voice. Turning her gaze, she saw the man approaching her. Over the years, he'd learned to move very skillfully with a pair of crutches. For the longest time she hadn't paid attention to his missing leg.

Their son, Toshi – who had her hair and Shikamaru's eyes – rolled his eyes. "For the hundreth time, dad, I did. Stop doubting me already!"

Despite the situation, she managed to smile a little. "Dad's just a little… edgy today." She and Shikamaru exchanged a nod before she spoke again, looking towards their son. "You know… I've been thinking. We've decided that this year, it's your turn to light up the candle.

Toshi's eyes widened. "Are you… sure?"

She nodded, her eyes stinging a little. "Yeah. I think Kiko would like it."

Pride shone in Toshi's eyes as he nodded.

While the boy stepped up to the river, Shikamaru walked up to her and they watched how their son finished up the task, then released the candle under the stream's mercy. Without saying a word she took Shikamaru's hand into her slightly trembling one, and felt him squeeze. For the first time in years this event didn't make her want to cry.

Because somehow, as her gaze moved from her son – who stood there with a serious expression – to the candle, she couldn't help feeling like their daughter was smiling out there somewhere.

* * *

'_Move on, and don't be afraid to grasp on life._'

* * *

On the opposite shore, a family of three also laid a candle of their own.

A young boy with almost purple eyes and dark hair looked towards his parents with confusion. "Mommy, daddy, who's this for?"

Karin swallowed thickly before answering, her eyes on the candle. "It's… for a very special, old friend."

Seeing that the child was about to ask more, Suigetsu stepped towards their son and picked him up to his shoulders, making the child squeal with delight. "C'mon, Sasuke. Let's go – we've got a long way home, remember?"

The boy smiled. "Yeah. Let's go. And tomorrow, I want to show you my Shuriken skills!" The child didn't stop babbling as they went.

And at some point, Suigetsu's hand caught Karin's as though it'd been an accident.

* * *

'_I know how stubborn you are, but don't fight against what's supposed to happen._'

* * *

That night, Konoha filled with light as hundreds – thousands, who knew – of candles made their way down the river, carrying messages of love and longing to those who could no longer hear. Someone might've even said that those candles looked like fallen stars as they traveled silently to where they could no longer be seen.

As always, that magical night was full of sadness and longing. But then, just as suddenly as the night had fallen, the last of candles died out to give room for the new morning. Once again the stream of life had been unstoppable.

* * *

'_Because like death, life can't be stopped either. I want you to enjoy every single moment you have left there. I want to see you live. And I…_'

* * *

The following morning – after a long, hellish night with barely any sleep – Naruto decided that it was finally time to do something important.

Shinju frowned when they arrived to the cemetery. "Why are we here?"

He swallowed thickly. "I… I think it was time to bring you to see _papa_." With that he turned to the stone, although it was almost unbearable to face it.

'_Sasuke Uchiha_', was engraved to the stone.

Forcing his gaze away from the sight, he offered his daughter two flowers. "Why… Why don't you give him these? I bet he'd like it."

Shinju's expression was unnaturally tense as she nodded and took the flowers, then walked up to the the stone and laid them down.

Naruto grit his teeth as hard as he possibly could to rid the burning of his eyes, but no force of willpower would've helped. A tiny, choked sound erupted through his throat as wet warmth stained his cheeks.

Hearing the sound, his daughter turned her gaze and frowned, worry shining in her much too familiar eyes. "Daddy?"

He shook his head and tried to smile, failing miserably. "It's… It's okay." His voice sounded far from right. "I'll be okay in a bit."

Not appearing convinced, she nodded slowly. Once more her tiny hand brushed the headstone before she got up and rushed over to him, taking his much cooler hand into hers. "Let's go get some ramen." She gave him a rather childish little smile. "Maybe it'll make you feel better."

Once more his smile almost failed.

Dear god, how he wished that she'd never have to feel such pain that couldn't be soothed with something as simple as ramen…!

"Yeah", he all but whispered hoarsely. "Ramen… sounds good."

Just before leaving he stopped, feeling someone looking. With a tiny chill he looked over his shoulder, and felt something inside him break at what he found.

Stood by the stone – almost transparent in the sunlight – was something that looked far too much like Sasuke. For a much too short moment their eyes met. And for the first time ever he saw a full smile on the raven's face.

Then, so suddenly that he almost gasped, wind blew, shattering the vision on its way. For a moment he could've sworn he felt a familiar touch on his cheek, and he just had to press his hand against his wettened skin.

He didn't know how long he'd stood there until he felt a tug on his hand. "Daddy?" His daughter's eyes were filled with confusion. "Why are you crying?"

He shook his head, for some reason not managing to convince her that he was alright. "I… just saw someone." He felt a violent tug of pain when looking towards the now empty spot where the vision had just been. "Someone I love very much."

His daughter opened her mouth, but in the end decided against asking more. They started to walk on in a thoughtful silence.

And although tears weren't far, for some reason Naruto didn't feel as alone anymore.

* * *

'_I'll be right here waiting for you and watching over you, Naruto. I'll watch your steps every single day. And when the time is right, I'll see you again._'

* * *

**_Owari._**

* * *

A/N: Awkay… (sobs) Does it offer you any consolation that this wasn't easy to write? (sighs) I still can't explain why, but this story just wanted to end this way. Poor things – but at least Naruto didn't have to go on all alone.

First off… This has been a long ride, altogether nineteen chapters, and I still cant believe this is over. (sobs) My goodness, thank you so much for all those reviews and listings – it's you who've made this fic feel worth continuing, so thank you! (HUGS) You're very, VERY dear to me, ya know?

GAH, I've gotta get going so I'll get this chapter published. **PLEASE**, leave a note and let me know what you thought about this last piece!

Once again, thank you!

I hope I'll c ya guys again later!

* * *

**snowpeachdrop**: Awww, I'm so happy that you gave this a chance despite the MPREG – and especially that you've enjoyed the ride. (beams)

Ah, Itachi's lover! It was revealed shortly after Itachi and Sasuke's battle, by Madara. I'm afraid I don't remember the chapter, but I hope ya'll find it out there somewhere. (grins)

Massive thank yous for the review!

I really hope the final piece turns out worth the wait.


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